Abstract: A wafer lifting apparatus is comprised of guide rails (10) that are disposed on a supporting surface (22). A lifting apparatus (24) is disposed on the surface (22), having an inclined surface (26). Grooves (28) are disposed on the inclined surface and spaced apart a distance equal to that of wafers (20) in a wafer handling boat (16). The wafer handling boat (16) has the end pieces (12) and (14) urged downward into the guide rails (10) until the lowermost peripheral edges of the wafers (20) contact the grooves (28) in the inclined surface (26). When fully lowered, the rearmost ones of the wafers (20) are completely lifted out of the boat such that they are supported entirely by the grooves (28). In this manner, they can be viewed from the end of the wafer lifting apparatus. A flat finding device in the form of a flat finding cylinder (44) is also provided in an opening (38) on a supporting surface (36) for holding the boat (16).

Abstract: A liquid diverting device for a currency receiver having an entrance slot for receipt of currency includes structure for diverting liquid from the entrance slot of the currency receiver. The structure includes a top wall, a bottom wall, first and second side walls, and first and second end walls. The device is disposed adjacent to the entrance slot of the currency receiver. The first side wall includes an inlet slot for receipt of currency. The second side wall includes an outlet slot for passing currency to the entrance slot of the currency receiver. The outlet slot is aligned with the entrance slot of the currency receiver. The diverting structure includes a channel interconnecting the inlet slot and the outlet slot. The channel extends between the top and bottom walls and the side walls for providing a passageway for currency through the diverting structure. The bottom wall includes a plurality of apertures for the removal from the channel of liquid.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter includes a delta-sigma modulator (10), having the output thereof filtered by a digital filter section. The digital filter section includes a first fixed decimation filter (12) followed by a variable decimation filter section (14) and an output low-pass filter section (16), having a fixed decimation ratio. The fixed variable decimation filter section (14) includes a single FIR filter (24) that has data processed therethrough with different sampling rates. A recursive controller (26) receives an external configuration input to determine the number of passes through the filter (24) that are required to provide the desired decimation ratio.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing device having an arcuate photoconductive member (12) includes a flat screen member (32) that is spaced apart from the arcuate photoconductive member (12). A plurality of arcuate opaque lines are disposed on the screen member (32) such that the plurality of arcuate opaque lines are centered along the longitudinal axis thereof. Each of the lines is dimensioned such that it represents the mirror image of the shadow on the photoconductive member that would exist if a straight line were disposed on the screen at the same position.

Abstract: Open spool reels (18) of magnetic tape (7) are recorded with a plurality of different programmes interspersed with recordings in a different form (typically as interruptions to the sync track), representing data information concerning the programme material and production history of the recording. The data (6) recorded on the tape (7) is read by a transducer (39) on a cassette loading machine (30) and used to control the operation of the loading machine, identifying the length of tape and the position on the tape where splices between the magnetic tape (7) and leader tape in cassette shells is to be made. The data (6) also controls a label printer (46) to produce a printed label, typically in bar code form, carrying information representing the programme material on the tape loaded into the cassette.

Abstract: A system (10) for recognizing numerical characters which appear as both numerical characters and words on a document includes an image capture device (12) for capturing the image of a document. A recognition circuit (14) performs recognition of the numerical characters. A recognition circuit (16) performs recognition of the words corresponding to the numerical characters. A comparator circuit (20) compares the recognition signals generated by the recognition circuit (16) to the recognition signals generated by the recognition circuit (14) to determine if the numerical characters recognized by the recognition circuit (14) is correct.

Abstract: A casing shut-in valve system (74) having a flapper valve assembly (34) and a shift head assembly (76); the flapper valve assembly (34) having an upper body member (36), lower body member (38), flow sleeve (40), valve seat sleeve member (42), flapper (54), flapper hinge assembly (56), and a plurality of spring strut assemblies (58) disposed on opposite sides of the flapper hinge assembly; the shift head assembly (76) having key housing (134) with bit sub (144) rotatably mounted in bearing (152), a plurality of outwardly biased shift keys (80), and a load equalizer plate (138) at each end of the key housing; the shift head assembly (76) being adapted to selectively open or close the valve by engaging and moving the flow sleeve (40) between defined upper and lower positions, thereby controlling the movement of flapper (54) through an angle (128) of rotation that is less than 90 degrees, and preferably about 45 degrees.

Abstract: A print inspection method in which an area of printed material is optically scanned to obtain image data representing picture elements having variable intensity levels includes counting the number of picture elments at a particular intensity level in the area scanned to thereby generate a frequency distribution of the intensity level of the image data in the area scanned. The frequency distribution generated is compared to a stored reference frequency distribution of intensity levels of the image data. A statistical comparison with the reference data is utilized to determine whether or not the printed material is satisfactory.

Abstract: In a support assembly for an excavating dragline bucket controlled by a hoist line and a drag line, the bucket having opposite side walls and an open forward end, a line protection device includes a sleeve for encircling the hoist line adjacent the bucket sidewalls for preventing direct contact between the hoist line and the bucket sidewalls. A sleeve also encircles the drag line adjacent the point of attachment between the drag line and the bucket forward end for preventing direct contact between the drag line and excavating material received by the bucket.

Abstract: A network for personal computers includes a network arbiter (10) disposed centrally with respect to a plurality of network stations (12), (14), (16), and (18). Each of the network stations (12-18) includes a personal computer (20), a network peripheral (24) and an interface (22). Each of the interfaces (22) interfaces with the arbiter (10) through a communication link. Each of the network stations has associated therewith a network program (82) that is operable to be executed by a central processing unit (56) in the background to an application program (80). Each of the network programs (82) has associated therewith at the network station a network status memory (86). When information is generated that is to be sent to a network peripheral, an interrupt program (92) interrupts output data from the application program (80) and controls the central processing unit (56) to output the data on a line (94) to the network interface (22). This data is then routed to the arbiter (10) along the line (98).

Abstract: Hydrogel-forming polymers for contact lenses and intraocular lenses having increased toughness despite high equilibrium water content comprise a hydrophilic monomer (e.g. an N-vinyl lactam) and a polyunsaturated polymeric cross-linking agent. UV-absorbers are also disclosed which are bound in the polymer structure so as to be inextractable, some undergoing photo-Fries re-arrangement on exposure to UV-radiation so as to become UV-absorbers in the re-arranged form.

Abstract: A video image processor for generating an enhanced image of data based upon input gray scale picture element values of image data of a document background and printed information contained thereon generates a histogram of the gray scale picture element values for each tile of image data for an area of the document representing the frequency of occurrence of picture elements of a particular gray scale value. A correlator processes each histogram to determine a back reference level and a white reference level for each tile. Normalization factors are calculated based upon the black reference level and the white reference level. The input gray scale picture element values for each tile of the image data associated with the normalization factors of each tile are normalized based upon the normalization factors for each tile and correlated to generate a normalized and correlated representation of the image data.

Abstract: A synchronization system for multiple CD players (12), (14), (16) and (18) includes a controller (20) that generates four separate sampling frequencies for input to the word clock inputs of the CD players. A master word clock provides a master clock signal that is input to CD player (12) and then multiplied by multiplier (40). The output of multiplier (40) is divided down by variable dividers (48), (50) and (52) to provide the sampling frequencies for the remaining CD players (14), (16), and (18). Each of the disks (54) has a header (80) disposed on the beginning of each of the program tracks. This header has a unique synchronization signal associated therewith that outputs data corresponding to the position of the output digital data. During output of the data associated with the header, a difference between positions of the different CD players is determined.

Abstract: A method for reducing the hydrogen sulfide content of hydrocarbon-containing fluids and aqueous solutions through a two-stage injection procedure whereby a dilute solution of a scavenging agent is injected into a hydrogen sulfide-containing fluid, followed by equilibration and a second injection of dilute solution of scavenging agent to further reduce the hydrogen sulfide content of the treated fluid.

Abstract: An overbased calcium sulfonate grease comprising neutral oil, calcium sulfonate, calcium carbonate, dodecyl benzyl sulfonic acid, isopropyl alcohol, water, calcium hydroxide, 12-hydroxy stearic acid, phosphoric acid and an antioxidant.

Abstract: An energy attenuating seat for a vehicle includes a seat member having a seat back and a seat pan. The seat pan includes a front and rear portion. The seat back is rigidly attached to a rigid seat structure or directly to the vehicle. Support structure is provided which is rigidly attached to the vehicle and which is disposed adjacent to the front portion of the seat pan for supporting the seat pan front portion. Structure is provided for hingedly interconnecting the seat pan front portion and the support structure, such that the seat pan rotates about this interconnection. An energy attenuator is interconnected between the seat back and the rear portion of the seat pan, such that vertical load forces experienced by an occupant of the vehicle during a crash causes the seat pan to pivot downwardly whereby the rear portion of the seat pan is disposed closer to the vehicle floor than the seat pan front portion. A vertical height adjustment is provided by allowing the seat to pivot upward and downward.