Abstract: A keypad which prevents electrostatic discharge from occurring in electronic equipment such as printers, computers and the like. The keypad includes a switch mechanism positioned on the circuit board associated with the electronic equipment. Attached to the switch mechanism is an actuating lengthening member of sufficient length to isolate the switch mechanism from electrostatic discharge through the keypad. A light source is also positioned under the keypad and the light source has attached thereto a light conducting lengthening member of sufficient length to isolate the light source from electrostatic discharge through the keypad. A method of preventing electrostatic discharge through a keypad to a circuit board is also disclosed.

Abstract: A printer is disclosed having an improved paper feed mechanism. The improved paper feed system has a reduced cost and accepts a wide variety of paper types including continuous forms and single cut sheets fed both by hand and from a paper tray. Furthermore, the printer is capable of switching from one paper source to another without requiring the operator to unload and reload paper. The mechanism operates with only two motors and no solenoids. Control over the paper path is maintained by employing the carriage to select the paper path and lift the ball. The printer also has a novel paper sensor.

Abstract: An apparatus is described for interfacing an automatic board test system to an electronic circuit card. This interface permits short and reliable connections between the test system and electronic components located on the circuit card for the electronic signals which test these components. This apparatus works equally well with vacuum actuated and mechanically actuated systems.

Abstract: An active paper drop mechanism (20) for ink-jet printers is provided. The mechanism comprises a pair of opposed, movable rail members (22) associated with opposed walls (14) of a horizontal-disposed output collection tray (12) for receiving sheets (10) of printed media.In particular, each rail member is provided with return spring (26) that act to maintain the rails in a closed position. In that position, the rails support a sheet of the print medium during the printing operation, thus giving the ink on the previously printed-on sheet (10') time to dry.The rails are provided with a wing member (32) and are pivotally secured (38) in the floor of the output tray, with the pivot point spaced inwardly from the wing member. Downward pressure against the wing member thus causes the rail to rotate outward from its closed position, into a recess (24) provided in the side of the output tray. This provides sufficient clearance for the sheet to drop into the output stack.

Abstract: An improved pattern of lines (26, 28) is placed on a wedged substrate (18) used to locate the focal plane of a scanning projection aligner. This pattern replaces the conventional array of microscopic resolution targets with large regions of microscopic lines and spaces. When printed, in- and out-of-focus conditions are macroscopically apparent due to the presence or absence of photoresist (14). Desired quantities conventionally determined from microscopic data, such as location of the best focus plane, astigmatism, mask-to-wafer parallelism, mirror aberrations and misalignments, are macroscopically determined in accordance with the invention.

Abstract: A cartridge-handling arrangement for selectively transferring a tape cartridge from a fixed store holding a plurality of cartridges in a vertical stack, to a fixed record/playback station. The cartridge-handling arrangement comprises an elevator platform moving between the appropriate store level and the level of the record/playback station and a displacement mechanism for transferring a selected cartridge between the store and the elevator platform and between the elevator platform and the record/playback station. The overall arrangement is such that a selected cartridge is presented to the record/playback station in a horizontal attitude.

Abstract: A printed circuit card includes a modified finger contact spanning two finger contact positions on its edge connector to momentarily short correspondingly adjacent receptacle contacts of a mating receptacle connector when the printed circuit card is either plugged into or removed from the mating receptacle connector.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for moving perforated continuous paper (10) through a dual axis printer (12), with both axes (14, 30) driven, while regulating the feed with the perforations and maintaining a controlled tension (38a) in the paper between the two driven axes. The novel approach in this invention is the addition of a set of spring-loaded friction surfaces (56a-62a), incorporated into a gear transmission (50), which limit the amount of torque which can be transmitted to the unregulated drive axis, with the direct effect of controlling the tension in the paper between the two axes.In order to create this tension, the unregulated axis is driven at a slightly greater speed than the regulated axis (with speed measured in terms of inches of paper per revolution of the driven gear (20)).

Abstract: A reticle design is provided for step and repeat projection aligners which, when patterned on a wafer (10), allows quick macroscopic evaluation of best focus for used in fabricating integrated circuits. The reticle pattern consists of opaque lines and spaces of widths slightly above the resolution limit of the resist/aligner system. The macroscopic determination of best focus, being macroscopically visible, eliminates the need for microscopic determination, thereby providing a quick and easy method. The best focus determination is made by forming an array (22) of resist fields (14') on the wafer, subjecting each field to a different focus and exposure. Upon development, those fields away from the best focus and at the larger exposure doses will be removed, leaving a parabola (24) of fields whose apex (26) is at high exposure. Best focus is the focus setting used to print the row of fields (B) containing the apex.

Abstract: A multi-level reticle is described which comprises a multiplicity of integrated circuit mask patterns. The mask patterns are positioned in separate areas on the reticle.The reticle is adapted to be positioned in a projection stepper apparatus for projection of light through one of the areas of the reticle to project a mask pattern onto a substrate (e.g. a wafer) to form an image. The reticle is also adapted to be rotated about its center in a manner such that each of the other mask patterns on the reticle can be projected onto the substrate in registration with the image formed from projection of the first mask pattern onto the substrate. Typically the separate mask patterns are located in separate quadrants on the reticle when there are three or four mask patterns. When there are only two mask patterns, typically they are located in separate hemispheres on the reticle.