Abstract: A method for preventing unwanted continued polymerization with aging of a lymer, e.g., a silicone gel, which was catalytically cured comprises treating the cured polymer with a catalytic deactivating agent or stabilization of cured resin.

Abstract: A modular adapter (30) includes a housing (33) having a plug end portion ) and a jack end portion (35). The jack end includes two stacked jack cavities (54-54'). Each of the jack cavities has a stepped portion (75) depending from the ceiling on each side of the centerline of the cavity. The stepped portions in each cavity are spaced apart a sufficient distance to receive a locking tab (41) of a modular plug (31) which is inserted into the cavity. The plug may be a six or an eight conductor plug. A first group of contact elements (36--36) extend from retroflexed end portions in one of the jack cavities into cells formed in the plug end portion. An additional two contact elements (37--37) comprising a second group have retroflexed end portions on one side of one jack cavity and extend to center positions in the other jack cavity.

Abstract: An off-line regulating power supply utilizes a regulating transistor which perates in a dissipative mode for only a portion of each half cycle of an input AC voltage in order to regulate an output voltage by truncating the input AC sinewave. This AC input signal is full wave rectified and coupled to a primary winding of a power transformer through the regulating transistor. One of a plurality of secondary windings is coupled to a voltage threshold detector which responds instantaneously to attainment of the threshold in each half cycle of operation to bias the regulating transistor from a saturated condition to an active dissipative impedance state which limits the output voltage to the threshold level. As the input AC sinewave peaks and declines in value, the regulating transistor is again biased into saturation when the voltage applied to the threshold detector drops below the threshold level.

Abstract: A lightguide preform is fabricated by depositing a thin carbon layer (40) on a cylindrical glass mandrel (30) and further depositing a plurality of glassy soot layers (32) thereover. The resulting composite structure is heated, in a furnace, at a low temperature to remove the carbon layer (40) and then heated at an elevated temperature to consolidate the glassy soot layers on the glass mandrel to form the lightguide preform.

Abstract: The invention relates to a modular jack for telephone equipment. The jack has a pair of switch contact springs which are activated only when a plug of a specific shape is inserted into the jack.

Abstract: A parallel data transmission system (20) comprises a cable (40) which is capable of balanced mode transmission but which is driven in an unbalanced mode. The cable includes a plurality of twisted pairs of individually insulated conductors (42--42) enclosed by a metallic shield (54). The twist lengths are relatively short to cause the pairs to be decoupled sufficiently from one another to allow substantially error-free, parallel transmission over relatively long distances. Interposed between the core and the shield is a spacing member (52) which has a relatively low dielectric constant. Receiving facilities are provided for detecting whether the level of transmitted signals is above or below predetermined threshold values and for converting the received signals into one of two or more logic levels. Advantageously, this system increases substantially the distances over which substantially error-free transmission in an unbalanced mode can be accomplished.

Abstract: A control circuit for a lightpen of a random scanning computer graphics sem (10) enabling the detection of lightpen interrupts or hits on contiguous vectors having drawing periods shorter than the response time of the lightpen (13). The lightpen interrupts are temporarily held in a peripheral circuit (31,32,34,36) and are selectively released to the computer system (via 29,21) at the end of its INTERPRET phase, i.e., at the end of a period during which the display processor decides how to handle the next display instruction. The present arrangement, which prevents the arrival of the lightpen interrupt signal during the INTERPRET phase, achieves a computer graphics system exhibiting maximum use of the information furnished by lightpen hits.

Abstract: A spool (20) which is used in the taking up and the paying out of a relatively long length of optical fiber includes two flanges (24, 26) and a hub (22) with each flange being tapered. The spool includes a collector (30) which is formed adjacent to one of the two tapered flanges of the spool and which provides access to the initial or leading end portion of the length of optical fiber which is wound on the spool. A groove (32) of the collector communicates with the hub of the spool through each of the two diametrically opposed slots (28--28) in the adjacent tapered flange (24). This allows the optical fiber to be wound on one of two coaxially mounted spools and to be transferred to the other spool with the first few convolutions being received in the groove and then passed through one of the slots in the adjacent tapered flange onto the hub.

Abstract: A connector (10) having two rows of opposed terminals (11, 12) joined by a pair of solder bars (13, 14) is mounted on a printed circuit board (16) with the terminals overlaying circuit board edge contact pads (15, 19) on opposite sides of the board. The assembled connector and circuit board is placed in a fixture whereafter pairs of comb devices are manipulated to position the comb tines between adjoining pairs of terminals. The fixture is conveyed at a fast rate in a first direction past a pair of heaters (34, 35) for preheating the two rows of terminals, the solder bars, and the circuit board pads. Next, the fixture is returned in a second opposite direction at a slow rate past the heaters to melt and thereby solder bond the comb held terminals to their corresponding board pads.

Abstract: A cable closure includes two spaced end plugs (110-110) through which cable nd portions extend and two cover portions (60-60) which are mated together along tongue and groove portions and held together by C-shaped clamps that engage the tongue and groove portions. Conductors of the cables are spliced together and enclosed in a membranous container (40) which subsequently is caused to be filled with an encapsulant. The cover portions, which in a preferred embodiment are identical, include internally disposed plates each having spaced end strap portions which secure the cable end portions extending through the end plugs into the closure at locations external to the membranous container and prevent unintended lateral, longitudinal and torsional movement of the splice work relative to the encapsulant.

Abstract: A plurality of spring clips (30), each having an elongated central member 2) with first (40) and second (38) ends and a plurality of resilient arms (36) radially extending therefrom, are simultaneously transferred between a transfer plate (90) and a pallet (20). The first ends (40) of the member (32) are lockably engaged in the transfer plate (90) with the second ends (38) thereof positioned into apertures (24) in the pallet (20). The central member (32) is rotated to release the first ends (40) from the transfer plate (90) while simultaneously lockably engaging the second ends (38) to the pallet (20) to secure the clips (30) therein and to capture a chip carrier (10) between the ends of each arm (36) and the pallet (20).

Abstract: Automated inspection of solder bumps (18--18) on a major surface (14) of a chip carrier (10) is accomplished by placing the chip carrier on a platform (22) beneath a ring light (28) which is in registration with a television camera (30). Light from the ring light, which is directed at an angle towards all sides (12--12) of the chip carrier, is only reflected upwardly into the television camera by the solder bumps. The output signal of the television camera, which varies with the intensity of the light reflected from the solder bumps, is processed by a vision system (32) to obtain a one-dimensional plot of the light intensity. The one-dimensional intensity plot is analyzed automatically by the vision system to detect for missing, bridged or excessive solder bumps on the chip carrier.

Abstract: Sealing the backside of a semiconductor wafer prevents evaporation of the dopant (typically boron) when an epitaxial layer is grown on the front (active) side, thereby preventing autodoping of the epitaxial layer with excess dopant. The present technique deposits an oxide layer during the ramp-up of the furnace that also deposits the nitride cap, thereby avoiding an extra process step. It also avoids the higher temperatures required for the prior-art technique of growing the oxide layer, resulting in lower oxygen precipitation due to the capping process and a greater yield of usable wafers.

Abstract: A technique for moving and presenting an article to a work station is described. A plurality of articles, loaded onto a conveyor system, are moved so that a leading article is positioned at a pick-up and elevating station (46). A separating mechanism (44) is activated to lift (via 90, 91) from the conveyor system (42) all of the articles which trail the leading article, and to move them a predetermined distance behind and away from the elevating station (46). Next, the leading article is elevated above the plane of the conveyor system in order to facilitate its removal therefrom (FIG. 3).

Abstract: A hopper tray for receiving a bulk array for articles, all the same oblong shape and size, is disposed on one side of an elongated conveyer. The tray is angularly movable between an up position at which articles on the tray are discharged onto the conveyer and a down position. The articles are transported one at a time, to a zone at which they are stopped by their contact with a stop plate and their arrival is indicated by a signal fed from a photodetector to a controller. A failure of an article to timely arrive at the zone indicates a probable jamming upstream of articles, and the controller responds to cause a temporary reverse movement of the conveyer tending to relieve the jam. The article stopped by the plate is, if at an angle, reoriented to bear flush against the plate, either lengthwise or widthwise to the conveyer, by the force exerted on the articles by the continuing movement of the conveyer. A probe senses whether the articles have been oriented lengthwise or widthwise.

Abstract: A voltage comparator (10) includes two sampled input networks connected in arallel between an input reference voltage (Vref) and the inverting input (16) of an integrator (12,14), the other input (18) of which is grounded. The first input network has a first input capacitor (C1) which is through-switched at a first sampling frequency (F1). The second input network has a second input capacitor which is diagonally-switched at a second sampling frequency (F2), thus providing an output voltage to the integrator (12,14) which is of opposite polarity to that of the first network. For a given ratio between the capacitors (C1,C2), the output (15) of the integrator is determined by the relationship between the sampling frequencies (F1,F2), thus providing a comparator capability. Also disclosed is a frequency lock loop (34) in which the output (Vcontrol) of a frequency comparator (38) is filtered of the switching frequencies and utilized as the control voltage for a voltage controlled oscillator (42).

Abstract: A plurality of spring clips (30), each having an elongated central member (32) with first (40) and second (38) ends and a plurality of resilient arms (36) radially extending therefrom, are simultaneously transferred between a transfer plate (90) and a pallet (20). The first ends (40) of the member (32) are lockably engaged in the transfer plate (90) with the second ends (38) thereof positioned into apertures (24) in the pallet (20). The central member (32) is rotated to release the first ends (40) from the transfer plate (90) while simultaneously lockably engaging the second ends (38) to the pallet (20) to secure the clips (30) therein and to capture a chip carrier (10) between the ends of each arm (36) and the pallet (20).

Abstract: A high quality Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 film is deposited by means of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition by passing a trialkylaluminum vapor over the surface of a substrate and CO.sub.2 gas as the oxidant in a plasma above the substrate surface. The CO.sub.2 is controlled to prevent particle formation due to gas phase reaction in the plasma as opposed to directly on the substrate surface.