Abstract: A compact ribbon cassette for dispensing and storing a ribbon or tape. The supply and take-up rolls of ribbon or tape are disposed upon a common rotatable shaft mounted for rotation within the housing. A unique chevron disposed adjacent the take-up roll and on the post-printing portion of the cassette causes the dispensed ribbon to reverse direction and change level and to be presented for storage upon the take-up roll. The ribbon cassette also includes a partition disposed between the supply and take-up rolls for preventing ink particles in the take-up portion of the housing from migrating and thereby contaminating the printing ribbon.

Abstract: The present invention features a universal, low profile, expandable flow track system that can be drop-load mounted to almost any supporting frame or pallet rack. The flow track system of the invention features a flow track that mounts flush with its end supports, and is infinitely adjustable along both the horizontal axis and depth axis of the storage frame. The flow track is quickly assembled to, adjusted upon, and removed from, the storage frame.

Abstract: A receipt or media storage and presenting device is described that allows for the storage of various media, such as receipts, slips, forms, labels, tickets, tags, etc. The receipts are introduced into the device by an adjacent printer. The web of the receipt enters the storage and presenting device through an entrance guide, and thereafter is stored within a rib-cage storage bin. The device can store various lengths of the media up to about twenty feet. The device is then caused to rotate through an angle transverse of the printer discharge direction, which angle is preferably 90 degrees. Thereafter, the web of material is discharged through the guide mechanism that has pivoted 180 degrees from an initial entrance position to a discharge position.

Abstract: In an MICR encoder of a point-of-sale transaction printer, the MICR characters must be printed at a precise distance to the right edge of the check in order to place the MICR in the proper field site. In order to accomplish this, an optical sensor is provided in a check processing mechanism of a point-of-sale printer, to detect the edge of the check and stage it at a known location from a thermal, MICR printhead. It then becomes an easy matter to advance the check by a stepper, drive and print motor a fixed number of step increments in order to start the printing sequence.

Abstract: A transaction printer includes the MICR encoding of indicia at a precise location called the amount field. In order to accomplish this, an optical sensor is provided in a check processing machine at a point-of-sale to detect the edge of the check and stage it at a known location from the thermal, MICR print head. A clutch mechanism is used to engage the print head with a platen and to engage a read head with the check, so that indicia can be sequentially imprinted and read within the check processing machine in a single, sequential operation that moves the check from a home position to a MICR print position, and subsequently to a MICR read position.

Abstract: The invention consists of a hopper to place material in, and a door beneath it to hold back the material until it is to be released onto a grid consisting of four separate compartments or chutes that direct the material into four separate sample containers. The latch is arranged in such a manner as to allow the gates to open suddenly, and simultaneously, releasing the material in a mass (rather than slowly), assuring an even flow of the material down the chutes and into the four waiting containers below. This assures an unbiased sample in each container. For further reductions in sample size, the common practice is to choose any two opposite corner containers, combine in the hopper and repeat the process.

Abstract: A transaction printer includes the MICR encoding and reading of indicia at the point-of-sale. The printer reads the imprinted MICR indicia and determines whether the MICR indicia are verifiable. Unverified checks may be marked. An operator may be asked to determine whether a "bad" check (i.e., wrinkled, folded, torn, etc.) is the probable cause of the verification failure. If the check appears to be good, the MICR encoding function of the transaction printer may be disabled until a service technician is available to isolate the problem.

Abstract: A compact ribbon cassette for dispensing and storing a ribbon or tape. The supply and take-up rolls of ribbon or tape are disposed upon a common rotatable shaft mounted for rotation within the housing. A unique chevron disposed adjacent the take-up roll and on the post-printing portion of the cassette causes the dispensed ribbon to reverse direction and change level and be presented for storage upon the take-up roll. The supply roll is under tension because a plurality of spring fingers push against a friction plate, thereby pressing the supply roll against an inner partition plate. The ribbon moves straight off the supply roll without bunching. A spring-loaded ribbon tensioner reduces slack in the ribbon by applying tension to the ribbon.

Abstract: Carbonate formations yield unreliable, down hole NMR results. Inter alia, these results must be corrected for temperature. The invention features several methods for obtaining more reliable NMR results for rock petrophysical parameters in carbonate rock formations based upon adjusting T.sub.2 data with respect to temperature.

Abstract: The present invention features procedures for correcting discoloration and brightness variations due to liquid crystal cell gap variations or other optical, electro-optical, ambient light, electronic, mechanical, and materials anomalies arising in tiled, flat-panel displays. The purpose of these corrections is to achieve a visually seamless appearance. Absolute, relative and/or smoothing corrections are implemented by performing pixel data video processing with correction data acquired from memory. Techniques for determining and applying these corrections are described.

Abstract: The invention provides a device for dispensing tickets in the form of segments cut off from a single paid-out strip, the device comprising a two-portion container, each portion of the container carrying a cutter blade, the portions of the container being movable relative to each other between a first relative position in which the blades are in a position to cooperate with each other for cutting off a ticket, and a second relative position in which the blades are remote from each other so as to leave sufficient space between them to give easy access to the path of the strip.

Abstract: A new receipt printer and method for negotiating transactions at the point of sale in retail establishments. The POS printer includes means for reading the account and bank information from existing magnetic characters on a check. The apparatus of this invention flips the check over and reverses its feed direction, in order to change its facial and directional orientation so that the amount of the transaction or other accounting information can be printed on the check, with one check presentation operation. The clamshell design of the printer, with the transport mechanism disposed in a pivotable door, allows for ease of clearing paper jams, should they occur. The door itself has a window through which the user and customer can view the check at all times, as it is read, flipped, and printed on.

Abstract: The invention features an electronic dimming ballast for use with a gas-discharge lamp. The ballast is adapted to receive a wide variety of control signals, both from sensors near the ballast or from sensors and/or controllers located away from the ballast. The ballast is constructed on a main circuit board which contains an interface into which a wide variety of daughter circuit boards may be attached so that the ballast may be customized for a particular application or system. Typical dimming input "commands" may be from light level sensors, proximity sensors, portable, hand-held remote controllers, building energy management systems, etc. Unique interface and/or control circuitry to adapt the basic dimming ballast to these inputs is generally contained on the pluggable daughter cards.

Abstract: A low profile flow track is described for use in storage facilities, such as warehouses. The flow track requires no assembly upon the pallet rack frame, and does not add appreciable height to the space allotted between the pallet rack beams for storing containers and other items. The flow track has an end plate that is positioned just one inch on top of the horizontal support surface of the pallet rack beam. The end plate is secured to the sides of the flow track, and side plates are specially contoured to provide support upon the step profile of the pallet rack beam.

Abstract: A process and system for treating sludge are provided. Sludge is dewatered by introducing pressurized air to the sludge, while the sludge is being moved continuously. The air strips the sludge of its water, thus increasing total solids captured with respect to time. The throughput of the system is therefore also increased. In addition, the pressurized air passing through the sludge support purges contaminants from the pores of the support, thus keeping them clean without the necessity to backwash same.

Abstract: A toaster oven that has a steam generating system is described. The steam from a steam generating system is passed into the oven during the heating and rewarming of meats and casserole dishes to prevent them from drying out.

Abstract: Pixel layout and placement designs provide improved color gamut in a tiled flat-panel display. The subpixels of the pixel designs are sized, placed and geometrically shaped so that the color purity, or equal amounts of RGB, are emitted from the display. The pixel designs match the subpixel size with the color filter and spectral content of the illumination source. The layout and placement design of the color pixel elements does not significantly shift the color purity of each pixel of the tile that may be in plane misalignment with respect to aperture masks above and below the tiles in the display configurations.

Abstract: A simplified, quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) technique and apparatus for testing and assessing individuals for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is described. The simplified procedure and apparatus is consistent with emerging neuroanatomical models of the etiology of ADHD, makes the testing affordable to the public, and allows for practitioners to conduct the testing on an outpatient basis within their offices. The process comprises a new scanning method that obtains quantitative EEG data from an electrode placed at a single, active cranial site (Cz, the vertex). Multiple short periods (90 seconds) of digitized EEG are obtained. The electrophysiological power in two frequency bands (theta: 4-8 Hz; beta: 13-21 Hz) is examined. A computer that is programmed with the capacity to conduct a Fast Fourier Transformation selects and statistically analyzes the power in these specific EEG frequency bands.

Abstract: The present invention features methods for assembling arrays of AMLCD tiles into tiled, flat-panel displays having visually imperceptible seams between the tiles. Flowable, polymeric adhesive layers are used between a back substrate, various optical components such as masks and polarizers, the tiles, and a front cover plate. Several unique techniques for establishing and maintaining tile-to-tile registration during assembly of the tiled, flat-panel display are presented.