Abstract: A clock circuit having a logic gate with an output supplying a clock signal to a clock input of a storage element and with plural inputs, including an input connected to an external contact for receiving an external clock signal and an input connected to a logic circuit to receive a logic term, such as a product term or sum-of-products term. The logic gate logically combines the internally generated logic with the external clock signal to produce the clock signal for the storage element. The logic gate may be an AND, OR, NAND or NOR gate. A multiplexer with an output connected to an input of the logic gate and responsive to a control signal may select one of two or more logic terms, one of two or more external clock signals, or a fixed voltage signal.

Abstract: Apparatus for shearing waste material such as a discarded vehicle tire including parallel first and second rotatable shafts, each having an alternating pattern of driving rings and split sharpenable shear members along the length thereof. The driving rings and the shear members all abut the circumference of the associated shaft. The driving rings are keyed to the shafts and the shearing members are fixed to the driving rings. The shearing members of each shaft are axially aligned with the driving rings of the other shaft and are in meshing relation with the shearing members of the other shaft. The optimal edge-to-edge dimension of the shearing members is maintained after material reduction from the edges by insertion of a shim between the blades that comprise the split shearing members. After each periodic sharpening of the shear members, additional shim are added between the blades or the existing shims are replaced with larger shims.

Abstract: An electrophoresis-based assay system for detection of one or more target substances, i.e. an analyte tagged with fluorescent binding agents. The analyte is reacted with an excess amount of fluroescently tagged binding agent. The reaction mixture is subjected to electrophoresis and the migration of bound and free fluorescent substances are timed at a location where there is a spatial and optical differentiation of the two substances. An optical detector supplies signals corresponding to fluorescent amplitudes of the two substances. The free fluorescent substance arrives at a time expected from calibration runs. This optical signal is a marker for a second time, either earlier or later, when the bound substance should have arrived. Recorded data is searched to establish the relation between free and bound dye among the recorded optical signals. An absence of a bound dye signal infers the absence of target analyte in a sample.

Abstract: An integrated circuit package and method of making the package which allows an integrated circuit die to be bonded to a substrate without need of a carrier. The integrated circuit die has opposed active and passive surfaces and has lateral surfaces. An electrically insulative layer of material is deposited on the passive and lateral surfaces. A metal mask is formed to cover the active surface and the coated lateral surfaces. The metal mask includes slots which extend up the lateral surfaces and onto the active surface. The array of slots corresponds to an array of input/output contact pads on the active side. Metal is sputtered into the slots, whereafter the mask is removed to provide L-shaped conductive traces from the contact pads along the active and lateral sides. The assembly can then be rested on a substrate on the passive surface and the L-shaped traces bonded to contact pads on the substrate. The assembly allows testing at the die level.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a repairable multi-chip module including providing a plurality of tape automated bonded chips secured to a corresponding number of substrates by a first bonding material. A second bonding material having a melting point below that of the first bonding material is used to mechanically attach the substrates to a multi-chip package. However, the second bonding material is not melted until after all of the chips have been properly tested. Electrical attachment is provided prior to mechanical attachment by bonding leads of the tape automated bonding frame to the multi-chip module. Removing a defective chip requires only the detachment of the leads. A replacement chip and a replacement substrate are then inserted in the position previously maintained by the defective chip. After the entire module is tested positively, the second bonding material is melted to mechanically attach the substrates to the module. Hermetical sealing of the module is also by means of the second bonding material.

Abstract: A ball-hitting practice device having support arms rotatable about an axis with the arm rotation restrained by a torque releasable clutch. The clutch has a fixed clutch plate having a pair of recesses in a surface facing a rotatable clutch plate. The rotatable clutch plate includes a pair of engagement balls adapted to be received within the recesses. A spring biases the clutch plates together. Biasing of the two clutch plates is adjustable for varying of the resistance to unseating the engagement balls from the recesses. A pair of support arms having practice balls mounted thereto by coil springs are attached to the rotatable clutch plate for rotation about a generally horizontal axis. Striking of a practice ball with a level swing causes movement of the practice ball about an arc of 180 degrees to a second rest position. The bias between the clutch plates is adjusted such that a swing that is not level will not effect a 180 degree rotation of a practice ball.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a soft-cover book of the type having an opening relaxed position in which front and read cover sections may lay flat against a support surface. A collection of pages are perfect bound to form a book block having a spine which is deformable along an arc of 180.degree. without significantly affecting the bond strength of the book block. Preferably, the book block includes a thin flexible capping material across the spine and portions of the opposed sides of the book block. The book block is moved relative to a valved adhesive application station for selective extrusion of adhesive. The adhesive is extruded to form a plurality of adhesive application areas on the spine of the book block, with each application area being spaced apart from adjacent application areas by adhesive-free areas. A soft cover is then brought into contact with the adhesive application areas. Extrusion may be from an elongated outlet which intermittently applied adhesive across the width of the spine.

Abstract: A system and method of creating transmissive images in a developed photographic film is disclosed. A light-sensitive silver halide emulsion is developed to form an opaque surface layer of fine silver grains with a clear underlayer supported on a transparent substrate. Transmissive images are created in the opaque surface layer by selectively applying an oxidizing solution which oxidizes the silver grains to silver ions which are poor absorbers of light. The underlayer absorbs excess oxidizing solution with little or no swelling. The oxidizing solution may be dispersed by a modified ink-jet printer. The imaged film has high contrast and can be directly used without further processing in color printing plate making systems and other applications requiring a transmissive film or mask.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for construction and use in real time of a sequence of pixel-to-pixel mappings that define a video image transformation of a sequence of video images in digital animation video image processing and display. A sequence of compressed mappings that approximate the required sequence of pixel-to-pixel mappings is constructred off-line, and this sequence of compressed mappings is stored for subsequent use and is designated by a selected indicium. When that sequence of pixel-to-pixel mappings is to be applied to a chosen set of video image fields, the sequence of compressed pixel mappings is called up by use of the indicium, the compressed mappings are decompressed, and the sequence of decompressed mappings is applied to the chosen set of video image fields in real time.

Abstract: A hand-held surface mount pick having a handle and a bellows. The handle includes a vacuum passageway with an evacuation opening at a first end and a plurality of closely spaced vents along an intermediate region. At an end opposite to the evacuation opening is a fitting for attachment to a source of vacuum. The bellows is connected to the first end and is in fluid communication with the vacuum source via the fitting and in fluid communication with the ambient atmosphere via the vents. A protective shield is coupled to the handle at the first end. The bellows has a relaxed condition in which a portion of the bellows extends beyond the protective shield to contact an electronic component. Upon contact with the component, the vents are covered by the finger of a user, thereby creating a vacuum within the bellows to draw the component into the protective shield.

Abstract: An adjustable desk having two centrally located motorized platforms, one in front of the other, with the front platform adapted to support a keyboard and the rear platform adapted to support a video display terminal. Both platforms operate independently of the other. Each of these platforms can have its elevation adjusted over a wide range. The platform for supporting a keyboard may also have its tilt adjusted through a motorized means. The platform for the keyboard comprises three planar sections stacked on top of one another. The two lower sections are hingdly attached to one another along their front edge. The top section is slidably connected to the middle section. Switches to control the adjustent of these platforms is found on the front of the desk.

Abstract: An integrated master oscillator/power amplifier semiconduction device having a laser diode oscillator, a broad area light amplifier and a coupling grating disposed to deflect light at an angle from the laser oscillator to the light amplifier. The amplifier may terminate as an output facet or use a grating surface emitter to couple amplified light out of the device. The orientation angle and grating period of the coupling grating are chosen to minimize feedback from the amplifier into the laser. This is achieved either by deflecting the light by other than a 90.degree. angle or by orienting the grating at other than 45.degree. with respect to laser even though light is deflected by 90.degree. so that any return light effectively "sees" a different grating. The laser can be a DFB or DBR laser and can be wavelength tunable.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for determining dynamically the polarization vector direction, or polarization vector components and associated temporal phase angle, of a light beam. The apparatus includes a compact polarization beam splitter that receives a beam of light, separates the beam into two perpendicular polarization components and directs these components to a pair of optical detectors and associated circuits that form the sum and difference signals of the electrical signals produced by the optical detectors. This produces a projection of the polarization vector on a given direction. If the light is generally elliptically polarized, use of two such polarization beam splitters and four optical detectors allows reconstruction of the polarization ellipse for the light beam. Alternatively, use of one such polarization beam splitter, two optical detectors and a rotating wave plate in a multiplexed configuration allows reconstruction of the polarization ellipse.

Abstract: A secondary waste apparatus for shearing waste material such as a discarded vehicle tire which has already been reduced in size by a primary shearing process. The apparatus includes a pair of counter-rotating shafts, each shaft having a plurality of generally annular shear members extending in a unitary construction from an abutting relationship with the shaft to an outside diameter which meshes with the shear members of the other shaft. The ratio of the diameter of each shaft to the maximum radial extent of the shear members abutting the shaft being greater than 3:5. Adjacent shear members on a shaft are spaced apart by a driving spacer and one or more grind-depreciable shims. Waste material from a primary shearing process is fed into the apparatus to further reduce the maximum size of the material. The apparatus is periodically sharpened by grinding of the shear members and the shims.

Abstract: A laser array submount structure for assembly into a two-dimensional stacked array with precise separation between laser diodes of adjacent submounts. The submount includes a deformable metal layer, such as a soft solder, on one major surface of a laser array support plate. A spacer element having spaced apart ridges is disposed on the opposite major surface. A laser diode array is mounted on a front edge of the support plate. In a cold bonding step, submounts are pressed together causing ridges to penetrate the deformable metal layer to a specified depth. The displaced metal spreads into channels between the ridges, allowing pressing of multiple laser array submounts into stackes of precise total tolerance.

Abstract: An EEPROM design featuring narrow linear electrodes including a source, a drain, a thin oxide, channel and floating gate. A pair of linear, opposed field oxide barrier walls form widthwise boundaries of the active structure which can be very closely spaced. The drain electrode, implanted in the substrate, abuts both opposed field oxide lateral walls, but does not extend under either wall. The source, drain and channel are formed in a single implant followed by diffusion after the field oxide barrier walls are formed, but prior to formation of the floating gate. All but opposed field oxide walls in a stripe design. A control gate is disposed over the floating gate. The combination of opposed field oxide barrier walls, a stripe electrode design, and single step implant for electrode formation results in a very compact cell, utilizing a simplified EEPROM process.

Abstract: A multiple port memory includes memory cells with merged PNP and NPN bipolar transistors. Each memory cell has a pair of PNP load transistors and a pair of NPN control transistors in a symmetric arrangement. One or more storage ports provides differential signals on two lines which can modify current flow in the memory cell. Similarly, one or more retrieval ports can be connected to two lines connected to the memory cell for reading current flow in the memory cell.

Abstract: A reader/writer device for flexible data cards is disclosed. The device includes a pair of pivotal arms which are adapted to receive a data card in a flat position and then to bend the card into a substantially cylindrical shape. A rotatable transducer is located so that its axis of rotation coincides with the axis of the cylindrically bent data card. The recording medium on the data card faces the transducer such that the transducer scans in lines which are parallel to the data tracks set forth on recording medium. High speed data reading and writing may be accomplished in this manner.

Abstract: An optical amplifier having one or more amplifier regions with a noncollinear light path provided by curved or folded waveguides therein between input, output and reflective surfaces provided, for example, by a low reflectivity front facet and a high reflectivity rear facet. The amplifier regions are electrically pumped via conductive contacts which may be individually addressable for each amplifier region to provide phase control of the array of emitted light. Light is accepted through the front facet by a first amplifier region, is reflected from the rear facet and is emitted through the front facet. If there are multiple amplifier regions, a portion of the light is reflected by the front facet into an adjacent amplifier region. The light path is incident on the front and rear facets at an angle other than normal thereto and preferably at most 10.degree. from normal.