Abstract: A spindle clamp for suppporting a data disk, wherein the spindle clamp includes a hub mounted for rotation about a central axis. The upper portion of the hub has a frustroconically-shaped bearing surface and has a disk-seating surface at the base of the bearing surface. A lock member has a downwardly-depending portion which is axially mounted such that the lower extremity of the lock member contacts the frustroconically-shaped bearing surface. The lock member is a unitary, cup-shaped member made of an elastically flexible material and preferably includes a plurality of axially-arranged fingers. Pneumatic or mechanical actuation of a piston within the hub is translated to the lock member to cause movement from a disk-releasing position to a disk-clamping position.

Abstract: Semiconductor heterostructure lasers having at least one lattice mismatched strain layer in the cladding proximate to the active region. Indium or phosphorus may be added in high concentration to form the strain layers. The strain layers may be spaced somewhat apart from the active region or may be adjacent to the active region. In either case, the strain layers decrease transparency current and increase differential gain.

Abstract: A high speed beam shutter having a flat, flexible, reflective ferromagnetic blade oriented with a lengthwise direction of the blade at approximately a right angle to the beam path and tilted up in the widthwise direction so as to be oriented at approximately 45.degree. to the beam path to reflect the beam downward to a light trap. The blade intersects the light path in either its straight or flexed position, but not both, and is flexed by means of an electromagnet. The electromagnet has an elongated core with J-shaped cross-section with the J-arm and J-hook ends defining magnetic poles. The blade, electromagnet and light trap may be housed in a case with side apertures defining the beam path. Both conductive and water cooling of the blade with a beam stop, and cooling of the light trap and electromagnet may be provided. A two blade, two electromagnet embodiment is described.

Abstract: A laser having a phase conjugating reflector positioned with a resonant cavity of a laser configuration capable of multimode operation. The resonant cavity or other means associated with the laser configuration selects the preferred mode at threshold. The phase conjugating material builds up reflectivity as the light intensity is increased above threshold power levels to maintain the selected mode to high power levels. One embodiment has an external Talbot cavity with a first mirror in a Talbot plane of a multi-emitter laser array and with the phase conjugating material at a sub-Talbot plane. Another embodiment has an external GRIN lens cavity with a far field apertured stripe mirror for threshold mode selection. The phase conjugator is placed at a high light intensity position within the cavity such as adjacent to the stripe mirror or adjacent to the laser array. The laser source may be a linear laser diode array or a 2-D surface emitting laser array.

Abstract: A method of inputting and outputting information files between a computer memory and a write-once medium in which a cache memory is established as an intermediary between an operating system's transfer address and the medium. The cache includes a system file allocation structure in a format corresponding to that for erasable media and a media directory file area. The directory in the write-once medium is read to the cache and the system file allocation structure is constructed from the directory information. When performing an operating system command, such as a read or write, access to the medium is made via the cache memory. For example, when reading a data file, sector locations indicated by the system file allocation structure are first mapped to corresponding sectors in the medium directory file area and the corresponding sectors are read from the medium.

Abstract: A programmable logic device having a plurality of functional units, a programmable interconnect matrix for connecting the functional units together, input and output pins coupled to the interconnect matrix, and programmable inverters connected between the pins and conductive lines of the matrix to permit external signals leading into or out of the interconnect matrix to be inverted, if desired. Each functional unit may itself be a programmable logic device with inputs, an AND array connected to the inputs, an OR array connected to the AND array, optional registers and inverters on the output side of the OR array, and outputs coupled to the OR array, the registers or the inverters. The programmable interconnect matrix includes two sets of conductive lines crossing one another and connectable by programmable links at each intersection. The lines connect to functional unit inputs and to input and output pins.

Abstract: An oven employing a group of identical modular oven units, each unit divided into a main cavity with a first upper auxiliary chamber and a second lower auxiliary chamber. A barrier plate separating the upper chamber from the main cavity is gas pervious and serves as a filter to separate micron size particles and larger from entering the main chamber as the particles are carried by heated inert gas or air passing into the main cavity. The barrier plate separating the lower chamber from the main cavity is also gas pervious and serves as a sink to adsorb particles of sizes up to 100 microns. The group of modular ovens is partially surrounded by a heat transfer wall which allows heat to be rejected from the modular ovens and removed by a fluid coolant in contact with the wall.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a microtip, cantilevered from a base and having a controllably high aspect ratio, for use in microprobe microscopy to probe variations in materials at the atomic level. A two-layer semiconductor material structure is provided, one layer being n type and the other layer being p type. A thin pencil of ions of n type is implanted through the n type layer into the p type layer, through a small aperture in a mask layer that overlies the n type layer. The p type material is then etched away, leaving the n type ion profile and the n type layer as a cantilevered microtip. The n type semiconductor layer may be replaced by a layer of any material that resists etching by the selected etchant.

Abstract: A single-use puncture device having an escapement assembly, a cylindrical sidewall and a helical spring encircling a lance. The escapement assembly includes cantilevered catch members which abut a stop turn of the helical spring to hold the helical spring in a stressed condition. Pressure at the front end of the puncture device causes a deformation of a thin diaphragm which supports the cantilevered catch members at ends opposite the abutment to the stop turn. The deformation is a flexing which moves the catch members radially outwardly to release the stop turn. The spring thrusts the lance forwardly from an armed position to a propelled position in which the puncture point of the lance extends from the front end of the device. The helical spring thereafter recoils to locate the lance in a neutral position encased within a housing. Rearmament of the device is thereby prevented.

Abstract: A method of forming a sift-proof seal for closure of a box having a plurality of folded flaps, the seal being formed by an adhesive strip pattern. The flaps are moved linearly toward a plurality of nozzles which extrude adhesive in a pattern of closely spaced adhesive strips. A flap having such an adhesive pattern is brought into contact with a second flap to compress the pattern of adhesive therebetween. The spacing between adjacent strips of adhesive is such that the folding of the flap causes merging of the adhesive to form a continuous strip of adhesive, thereby forming a box closure. The adhesive pattern is limited to a first outside edge of the first flap, with each remaining outside edges receiving a sift-proof continuous line of adhesive.

Abstract: A programmable logic device architecture having a matrix of smaller functional units, each of which being a programmable logic array, and a set of fixed conductive lines connected to the functional unit inputs and outputs, the conductive lines forming programmable interconnection matrices. The input pins can be programmably connected to any input of any functional unit, and the outputs of functional units can be programmably connected to any input of any functional unit. Output pins connect directly to outputs of functional units. The interconnection matrices may be a simple array of crossing conductive lines with crossings connected by EPROM, or EEPROM switches.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for particle detection which includes a plurality of sample regions. A sensor body has internal walls which define spaced apart sample regions, with each sample region having an inlet port and an exhaust port. An aggregate sample flow is divided into partial flows which are directed from the inlet port to the exhaust port of an associated sample region. A light source, typically a laser, is positioned to project an incident beam along a light path which intersects each of the partial sample flows through the sample regions. Particles contained within the partial sample flows scatter light as the particles pass through the incident beam. The light from a sample region is directed to a photodetector which provides a signal corresponding to the sensed light. Particle detection in each sample region is operationally independent of the others, but the information is combined to provide a total particle count of the aggregate sample flow.

Abstract: A body support device having a gas inlet to receive a supply of pressurized air and having a plurality of gas outlets in fluid communication with the gas inlet. The outlets are orifices at the upper surface of the support device. The support device may be an inflatable mattress, cushion or the like. A plurality of valves are attached to the support device at the orifices and are biased into positions to obstruct gas flow through the orifices. Vertically displaceable members extend to a level with respect to the upper wall of the support device such that a force applied to the upper wall about a member urges the member downward. The vertically displaceable members are mutually independent, but each one is in motion-transfer engagement with one of the valves to independently move the valve into a gas-release position upon downward movement of the displaceable member. In a preferred embodiment, the displaceable members are hammers having downwardly extending projections in contact with the associated valve.

Abstract: A monolithic integrated master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) device including a single mode diode laser with distributed Bragg reflectors, an amplifier in tandem with the laser, lateral phase controllers and a detuned second order grating surface output coupler, all on a common substrate. The amplifier is a flared waveguide in one embodiment, and a branching network of single mode waveguides followed by an array of single mode gain waveguides in another embodiment. The diode laser is tunable by means of a separate tuning current applied to the rear Bragg reflector. Tuning the laser wavelength provides, in conjunction with the output coupler, a longitudinal steering of the output beam. The lateral phase controllers are an array of separately addressable electrodes that adjust the optical path length to compensate for phase variation in the amplifiers and also to provide lateral steering of the output beam.