Abstract: Desired control of the thickness and composition of a solder coat on the J-leads of an integrated circuit Quad package is obtained by orienting the packages while being solder coated in a "leads-up" orientation as a series of strips mounting the packages are passed through a solder wave of a wave soldering apparatus on a pallet. The Quad or other shaped integrated circuit or other electronic packages which have leads extending exteriorly thereof, thus have the critical lead crest portions coated with substantially the same solder layer thickness and composition. This permits reliable electrical connections between the crest portions of the leads and printed circuit board metal traces (metallization), particularly in surface mounting of the package to a printed circuit board. An additional feature of the invention is a pallet for holding a series of package-holding elongate frames which pallet is used for conveying the packages through the wave soldering apparatus.

Abstract: An electrostatic precipitator includes charging, inertia and collection sections, which are arranged in the order mentioned along the direction of gas flow containing therein particles to be removed. The charging section includes a parallel electrode and a discharging electrode located between the parallel plates, and, thus, the particles floating in the gas passing through the charging section become charged and partly agglomerated. The inertia section includes a deflector plate arranged at a predetermined angle thereby causing the gas flow to change its course of action locally to have the particles impinge on the deflector plate due to inertia. The collection section includes a trough which is formed continuous with the deflector plate with its mouth opened against the gas flow.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an orthodontic toothbrush, particularly for children wearing regulating pins, characterized by a brushing head (30) comprising on the one hand two lateral and longitudinal groups of tufts of bristles (31,35), each group possessing tufts (32,36) inclined towards the outside of the brushing head and diverging relative to a median longitudinal plane of the head, and tufts (33,37) converging towards this median longitudinal plane, and secondly at least one central longitudinal row of shorter tufts (40) parallel to the median longitudinal plane.

Abstract: The electrical connection device is constituted by a sliding system comprising at least one conductive pin (5) fixed on one rigid bar (2) and at least one associated pluggable connector (6) fixed on another rigid bar (2'), said sliding system simultaneously providing electrical continuity between said bars on either side of said expansion joint regardless of their relative longitudinal position, and mechanical guidance of said bars to keep them in alignment. Such a connection is particularly applicable to supplying power to handling devices such as cranes, travelling cranes, container transporters, etc.

Abstract: An optical alignment apparatus and method for a semiconductor lithography mask and wafer utilizes two monochromatic light sources of different wavelengths. The mask contains targets in the form of linear Fresnel zone plates and the wafer contains a reflecting grating. Incident illumination from the two light sources illuminates the mask targets and is reflected from the wafer gratings in various intensity depending on the physical characteristics of the wafer and mask layers and thicknesses and by the targets. A detector detects the strongest of the diffracted return beams from each of the monochromatic light sources and uses the strongest to align the targets and grating on the mask and wafer for more accurate printing of mask patterns on the wafer.

Abstract: A roller retaining assembly for use in a roller bearing includes a retaining ring provided with a plurality of retainer windows arranged spaced apart one from another along the circumferential direction of the ring and a plurality of rollers each of which is received in an associated one of the plurality of retainer windows. The retainer window is generally rectangular in shape and it has a length and a width which are slightly larger than the length and the diameter of the roller, respectively. The retainer window is provided with a pair of retaining projections at the outer peripheral surface and also at the inner peripheral surface of the retainer ring located at the center in the axial direction of the retainer ring. The shortest distance between the pair of retaining projections is set to be smaller than the diameter of the roller so that the roller is confined in the retainer window at all times.

Abstract: A structure for mounting an attachment member to a linear motion rolling contact bearing assembly including a bed, a table and a plurality of rolling members interposed between the bed and the table thereby providing a relative motion between the table and the bed. The mounting structure includes an alignment hole defined in the bed or table, a mounting hole defined in the attachment member, a counter member provided with a threaded hole and a bolt extending through the aligned mounting and alignment holes to be threaded into the threaded hole of the counter member with its head in engagement with the attachment member. In the preferred embodiment, the counter member has a contact surface which is substantially the same as and located opposite to a contact surface of the attachment member.

Abstract: A fluid bearing assembly includes a first element and a second element which moves relative to the first element along a predetermined path. The first element has a first surface which is opposite to a second surface of the second element. A recess is defined at least in either one of the first or second surfaces for maintaining therein a quantity of fluid, such as air and liquid. Also provided is a heater inside of the recess so that the fluid inside of the recess is heated to expand in volume, thereby pressurizing the fluid to establish alignment between the first and second elements. Such a fluid bearing assembly may be applied not only for the rotary type bearing assembly, but also for the linear motion type bearing assembly.

Abstract: A laser-applied treatment apparatus includes a TEA type laser unit and a flexible link, such as a multi-joint arm assembly, for leading a laser beam emitted from the laser unit to a desired location, such as a part of a person's skin which is affected by dermatophytosis, in any desired orientation. Also provided is a pair of convex and concave lenses in the optical path of the apparatus for narrowing and collimating the laser beam such that it has an energy density suitable for use in treatment, e.g., athlete's foot. In one embodiment, a hand switch is mounted on a hand piece portion of the flexible link, and it controls the operation of the laser unit. Also provided is a foot switch which is operatively associated with the hand switch such that the operation of the first switch is rendered valid as long as the foot switch is kept depressed. Such a double switch structure provides an advantageous safety feature.

Abstract: A water bicycle comprising two relatively parallel, elongated floating bodies and a frame supported by said floating bodies provided with a seat whereby each of the floating bodies is provided with a frame part supported by the associated floating body and a spacing member is releasably arranged between the two frame parts for maintaining the frame parts at a given distance from the other and the floating bodies connected therewith, the seat being supported by an auxiliary frame provided with two guides cooperating with guides forming part of the frame parts on the floating bodies so that in the longitudinal direction of the floating bodies the guide parts are slidable over or in one another, while bolt are provided for fixing the guides in a desired position relative to one another.

Abstract: An x-ray mask membrane reflection compensator includes an x-ray chamber having a transmitting gaseous media therein chamber through which x-rays are directed to a mask membrane that is positioned in close spaced proximity to a resist-coated wafer. A controlled environment of processing gas is provided within a gap between the mask membrane and wafer surfaces. The processing gas and gaseous media pressures variously cause bulging of the membrane resulting in a descrepancy in the gap distance across the field of view. A laser source provides an incident beam of light which is directed at an incident angle to the mask membrane and the wafer surface such that return beams are reflected and interference fringe patterns, due to slight nonparallelism of the mask membrane and the wafer are displayed on a monitor.

Abstract: A retainer particularly suitable for use in a crossed-roller rolling contact bearing assembly is provided. The retainer is comprised of a thin plate which is provided with at least one hole for locating therein a roller. A pair of top and bottom projections are formed in the hole for providing main contact surfaces for holding the roller in position by surface contact. Additionally, the wall which defines the hole is provided with a double-tapered section at least partly, and this double-tapered wall section provides auxiliary contact surfaces for holding the roller in position by surface contact.

Abstract: Bidirectional amplifier employs a single buffer amplifier (64). The bidirectional amplifier is programmed by applying a control signal (Q) and its complementary signal (Q), which establishes the state of four pass transistors (P'.sub.1, P'.sub.2, P'.sub.3, P'.sub.4) or four CMOS transmission gates (T.sub.1, T.sub.2, T.sub.3, T.sub.4). For a first selection of the control signal, the bidirectional amplifier receives an input signal on a first lead (A') and produces an amplified signal on a second lead (B'). For a second selection of the control signal, the amplifier receives an input signal on the second lead (B') and produces an amplified output signal on the first lead (A').

Abstract: A monitoring and control system for a fluid container filler line having an empty container in-feed conveyor (11), a multivalve fill station (14), a multihead scanner station (17), a discharge conveyor (20) and a fill height detector (25), the system comprising a sensing module (22) having a first sensor (44) to indicate the first of a sequence of numbered valves with means to reset a valve counter, a second sensor (45) to count each valve of the sequence and controller means (50) responsive to said sensors to spacially track each container (12) through the system and to identify the particular fill valve for each particular container. A detector (54) is responsive to the controller and signals from the height detector to detect an improperly filled faulty container and identify the particular number valve which did the faulty filling.

Abstract: A linear motion rolling contact bearing assembly includes a rail, a slider movable along the rail, and a plurality of balls partly interposed between the slider and the rail to provide a rolling contact relation between the slider and the rail. The rail is provided with at least one inner guide groove and the slider is provided with at least one outer guide groove which is located in an oppositely disposed relation to the inner guide groove, thereby defining a load section. The slider is also provided with an endless path which includes the load section as a part thereof, and a plurality of balls are received in the endless path. The inner and outer guide grooves are structured such that each of the balls in the load section contacts at one point with each of the inner and outer guide grooves under light load conditions. Under heavy load conditions, all of the balls in the load section contact at two points with each of the inner and outer guide grooves to provide an increased load bearing ability.

Abstract: A speed responsive clutch assembly includes a generally disc-shaped clutch plate fixedly mounted on a rotating shaft on the driven side of the clutch assembly and a reaction ring supported by the clutch plate so as to be rotatable relative to the clutch plate over a predetermined angle. The clutch assembly also includes a plurality of shoe assemblies which are mounted on the reaction ring so as to be movable radially outward until they come into frictional contact with a casing, which is connected to a driving source, thereby establishing a coupled condition as the centrifugal force acting on the shoe assemblies increases. The assembly also includes a plurality of damper members interposed between the clutch plate and the reaction ring so that the rotational force can be transmitted between the clutch plate and the reaction ring through the damper members. Those shoe assemblies and damper members are arranged substantially along the same circumference.

Abstract: A screw plug self-taps itself into an open filler stem of a thin plastic cylindrical centrifuge tube to press an underside of the plug against the annular top surface of the stem after the solutions to be centrifuged have been placed in the tube to seal the tube. A support crown may support the stem during the screw plug insertion into the stem and supports an upper portion of the tube adjacent the stem when the tube is inserted in a centrifuge rotor. Auxiliary seals may also be provided to ensure sealing of the tube stem. An annular fractionating plug is screwable into the tapped aperture in the stem after centrifuging, to remove the centrifuged tube contents.

Abstract: A modulating valve is described for controlling the flow of a working fluid through a flow orifice. The valve includes a encapsulated armature having a permanent magnet and a pair of soft iron pole pieces within its interior. The armature is axially movable by the passage of current through one or a dual pair of solenoid coils surrounding the armature. A thin webbed sealing disk is stretched over the end of an armature housing extension and acts to close or modulate flow of working fluid by varying the axial clearance between the disk and a stationary annular seat of the flow orifice. The armature is supported on flexure guide springs that allow armature axial motion when axial magnetic forces are applied to the armature. These axial forces are provided by the interaction of the solenoid coil(s) and the field of the permanent magnet.

Abstract: A linear motion roller bearing for allowing an object such as a slider to move along a straight line defined, for example, by a track rail includes an endless path and a plurality of rollers having substantially the same size in diameter and height, which are arranged in contact in the endless path with their axes of rotation directed as rotated over 90.degree. alternately with respect to the longitudinal axis of the endless path. The endless path includes a pair of straight portions and a pair of semicircularly curved portions each of which connects the corresponding ends of the pair of straight portions. Each of the curved portions is so structured that the maximum number of rollers which can be present therein ranges between (even number +0.1) and (even number +0.5) if the pair of straight portions are not provided on the same horizontal plane and between (integer +0.1) and (integer +0.5) if the pair of straight portions are provided on the same horizontal plane or a plane close thereto.

Abstract: A crossed roller type linear motion rolling contact bearing assembly includes a straight rail and a slider mounted on the rail slidably therealong. An endless circulating path is defined in the slider, in which a plurality of rollers are provided. Since the path includes a load section where the rollers provide a rolling contact between the slider and the rail, the slider may slidably move along the rail. Also provided in the endless path are a plurality of roller separators each of which is interposed between two adjacent rollers thereby keeping these two rollers as spaced apart from each other at all times. The separator has a pair of roller-receiving recesses for holding therein the associated rollers in a crossed arrangement, and each of the roller-receiving recesses is so shaped that the roller received therein can change its orientation over a predetermined range so as to maintain a predetermined positional relationship between the two rollers received in the recesses on both sides of the separator.