Abstract: Device for automatically filling a container for collecting flat objects, such as mail envelopes, including a receiving location where the envelopes are delivered one by one, preferably in a vertical position and stood up on their edge, from a conveyor, in particular with driving belts pinching the envelopes between them until the moment when they are released into the location in order progressively to form a stack, this location including at least one and preferably two opposite parallel jogging edges extending perpendicularly to the planes of the successive envelopes in the stack formed between these edges, and a horizontal bearing sole, the first envelope in the stack furthermore being pressed against a moving stop which moves in a horizontal direction as the stack is formed, wherein the bearing sole consists of two retractable flaps placed facing one another in the same horizontal plane in order to support the stack of envelopes, these flaps being mounted so that they can pivot about two parallel axles a

Abstract: A fibre-optic splice case has a support for a sealed box which contains a splice connection strip that connects together the ends of two optical fibres from two separate cables. The box is a sealed assembly having a centre of symmetry. The two cables are connectable to the box. The box has a cylindrical support with a central drum and a coaxial outer wall defines therebetween a housing in which the two cables are unreeled or reeled-up in order to deliver or take up a length of cable sufficient to allow the splice to be made. The box also has two separate straight sides each lying substantially in an extension of the other. The straight sides tubular passages are provided for fixing the ends of the two cables. The ends of these straight sides are joined with bottoms of circular overall shape, giving the box a cross-section in the form of a snail-shell.

Abstract: The machine of the invention comprises downstream a squeezing device defining portions (P), successive pairs of first and second plates (1), 1') disposed parallel inside which the portions (P) are engaged. The first and second plates (1, 1') of each pair move forward in the machine by keeping their spacing and remaining longitudinally in coincidence, whilst moving transversally at the same speed but in opposite directions so as to make the portion (P) they enclose rotate. Secondly, the transversal movement directions are alternate between the first successive plates (1) and between the successive second plates (1'). Consequently, the continuous filled-up casing (B) driven by the pairs (1, 1') advances inside the machine in the form of successive portions (P) between which a twist is formed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to various improvements to a device for access and tracking to a track carried by an information medium, the information being readable and/or recordable optically by a focused radiation, this track forming, on the medium, regularly-spaced or variably spaced revolutions, the revolutions forming a spiral or having the form of concentric circular elements, the device comprising an optical head (1) with optical axis A orthogonal to the plane of the medium, a fixed magnetic circuit comprising at least one core (7) secant to the set of revolutions of the track, in the gap of which two coils (14, 15) move permitting respectively track access and radial tracking to be achieved, as well as focusing of the radiation onto the track, the optical head and the two coils being fixed rigidly to one another in such a way as to form a single compact mobile unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel electroactive energy storing polycarbon sulfide (PCS) materials of general formula (CS.sub.x).sub.n wherein x is greater than 2.5 to about 50, and n is equal to or greater than 2. This invention also relates to novel rechargeable electrochemical cells containing positive electrode materials comprised of said polycarbon-sulfide materials with improved storage capacity at ambient and sub-ambient temperatures. This invention also relates to novel gel type solid electrolytes useful in high energy storage batteries.

Abstract: Dupuytren's disease is treated by applying collagenase to the affected palmar fascia.

Abstract: The present invention relates to polymeric luminophores which contain ruthenium, osmium, and rhenium complexes covalently attached to polymer matrices. The polymeric luminophores are capable of having their luminescence quenched by molecular oxygen and may be coated on optical fibers to form sensing elements to detect oxygen in gases and fluids.

Abstract: The invention is an optical device, similar to a pair of binoculars, which includes, between the objective lens and the eyepiece a miniature screen displaying an image controlled by a computer, and an optical reflex device capable of superimposing the screen image on the image seen through the objective lens. The device also includes, selectively or cumulatively, a variable light attenuator, a light amplifier for night vision, sensors to detect the line of sight of the optical device, and a computer which can also be selectively or cumulatively connected to a localization receiver of the "global positioning system" type and a transceiver. The device can be used to add further information on geographic positions, friends, enemies, infrared images, etc. into the scene seen through the binoculars.

Abstract: The invention concerns a memory cell insensitive to disturbances. The memory cell, that contains information in the form of two complementary logical levels (X, C(X)), each logical level being stored in a node of the cell (N1, N2), is characterized in that it comprises means of storing the same logical level in two different nodes (N1, N2, N3, N4), the said means being able to restore any logical level to its initial state preceding a modification made on it due to a disturbance, as a result of holding the value of one of the two logical levels complementary to the logical level that was modified.

Abstract: The disclosure is a high-power solid laser in which an emissive array of semiconductor lasers in a first stage pumps a solid YAG-type laser in a second stage. The structure of the emissive array, which is an integrated circuit, includes rods of semiconductor lasers alternating with grooves, the rods and grooves being parallel. The invention involves incrusting the material of the solid laser bars into the grooves between the rods of semiconductor lasers. This material is either placed in hybrid form or deposited to make an integrated structure.

Abstract: Process for programming memories of the fuse protection type, particularly those used in smart or chip cards. A breakdown voltage is applied (204) for a time greatly exceeding that used in the prior art, and with a current at a value well above that used in the prior art. Typically 100 ms and 2A are used. Programmable processors (102) make it possible to regulate these values and carry out tests beforehand. These methods avoid reconstitution of blown fuses and the errors resulting therefrom.

Abstract: An integrated circuit, for use in a microprocessor-based chip card that provides several different functions at different hierarchical levels. The circuit has a microprocessor, a read-only memory managing a protection system and an EEPROM capable of containing not only data but also a code that can,be executed by the microprocessor. Different programs are placed in the EEPROM memory zones (Z1C, Z2C, Z3C). The read-only memory contains filtering instructions used to read a filter address in a specified zone Z1B, Z2B, Z3B of the EEPROM. Depending on the contents of this zone, the program will be routed, or not routed, towards the zones (Z1C, Z2C, Z3C). Thus information is recorded at only one address of the EEPROM in order to control accessibility to the different functions of the circuit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to metal ion salts which can be used in electrolytes for producing electrochemical devices, including both primary and secondary batteries, photoelectrochemical cells and electrochromic displays. The salts have a low energy of dissociation and may be dissolved in a suitable polymer to produce a polymer solid electrolyte or in a polar aprotic liquid solvent to produce a liquid electrolyte. The anion of the salts may be covalently attached to polymer backbones to produce polymer solid electrolytes with exclusive cation conductivity.

Abstract: An analogue-digital voltage converter comprising 2.sup.n -1 comparators making it possible to generate 2.sup.n different voltage levels when the input voltage varies, and a binary coding circuit comprising means (2) for converting the 2.sup.n voltage levels into 2.sup.n binary codes each having n bits of resolution, characterized in that it comprises additional means (20) making it possible to code the voltage contained in at least one range of variation of the input voltage into an item of information having a number of bits of resolution greater than n. The converter applies more particularly to video signal processing devices (televisions, video recorders, cameras, etc.).

Abstract: A variable gain amplifier which has n parallel-connected elementary amplifiers, and components for selecting j-order (j=1, 2, . . . , n) elementary amplifier according to the desired gain. Each elementary amplifier is of a common base type. The variable gain amplifier includes components that are used to obtain a low value input impedance that is independent of the gain of the selected elementary amplifier. The variable gain amplifier will find particular application at the input stages of amplification lines of receiving circuits which require noise performance characteristics.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel electroactive energy storing polyacetylene-copolysulfur (PAS) materials of general formula (C.sub.2 S.sub.x).sub.n wherein x is greater than 1 to about 100, and n is equal to or greater than 2. This invention also relates to novel rechargeable electrochemical cells containing positive electrode materials comprised of said polyacetylene-co-polysulfur materials with improved storage capacity and cycle life at ambient and sub-ambient temperatures.

Abstract: A three-color image projector, of the type using several colored light beams with primary colors, with improved luminous efficiency. The projector employs spatial rather than temporal beam modulation. The projector includes a generator producing light in the three spectral bands corresponding to the primary colors (red, green, blue). The generator has at least two light sources (S1, S2), one of which produces multi-spectral band light, and the other is a monochromatic source. By comparison with the prior art, where the white light is produced by a single source, this arrangement avoids, in particular, the elimination of a significant quantity of lumens in the excess primary color.

Abstract: A device and method for interconnection packages in a stack. Each package encapsulates, for example a semiconductor chip containing an integrated circuit, which for example may be a memory. The packages (2) which have connecting pins (21) are mounted on support grid (4) which preferably act as a heat shunt, and are stacked and linked to each other with a resin coating (5). A stack (3) is cut out so that the pins on the packages and one edge of the grids are flush with faces (31, 32) of the stack (3). Connections between the packages themselves, and between the packages and stack connecting pads, are made on the faces of the stack. The connecting pads are where necessary fitted with connecting pins.

Abstract: This invention provides pharmaceutical compositions for topical application containing high concentrations of the enzyme collagenase in non-aqueous excipients. The invention also provides a particular excipient, dextran, which is especially useful for admixture with collagenase and which can also be used to advantage with other pharmaceutically active materials.

Abstract: The invention concerns a charge-to-voltage converter including a read diode and a read transistor of no-load gain G.sub.o. The converter includes complementary circuits assuring a conversion gain greater than G.sub.o during read periods and a conversion gain substantially equal zero at other times.