Abstract: A solder-bearing lead (10) includes a contact clamping finger (20) having an arcuate, reverse-bent clamping portion (34) which is wrapped about a solder preform (12) so that a surface portion (24) of the preform and an outer end surface portion (22) of the contact finger both directly engage a contact pad (14) on a substrate circuit device (16) when the lead is mounted on the device. When the lead (10) is temporarily subjected to heat in a soldering operation, the solder preform (12) melts and flows directly over the contact pad (14) and then resolidifies to form a soldered connection (28) having the outer end surface portion (22) of the reverse-bent clamping portion (34) of the contact clamping finger (20) embedded in the soldered connection in firm engagement with the contact pad (14).

Abstract: A selective metallization process particularly suited for making printed circuit boards comprises the step of treating a substrate having a negative mask thereon with a reactant, e.g., acetic acid, which modifies the surface of the mask without affecting the substrate so as to remove or prevent an active catalytic layer from remaining on the surface of the mask thereby preventing electroless plating on the mask.

Abstract: The integrity and connection of cable wires (10-13) extending between two banks of terminals (20-1 to 20-4 and 16-19) are checked for shorts of the wires to ground, to battery wiring between each other and for opens and misconnections or cross-connections of the wires. Unique recognition circuits are provided for controlling, analyzing (circuits 43, 53, 68, 92, 112, 181) and displaying (displays 23, 24, 31 and 32) the test results to accordingly apprise an operator(s) stationed at either or both ends of the cable.

Abstract: A telephone handset arranged to operate completely independently of a base comprises switches for effecting a connection with a telephone line and a manually operable pushbutton for operating the switches. The pushbutton is biased to hold the switches in a first position to place the telephone handset OFF-HOOK. Successive manual operations of the pushbutton places the switches in a second position wherein the telephone handset is ON-HOOK. The pushbutton also includes a lip for latching the switches in the second condition to hold the telephone handset ON-HOOK. A neon bulb is located in the handset to signal when ringing appears on the telephone line.

Abstract: Various permutations of plugs (13) are inserted in keying holes (12) formed in a connector 10 secured to an edge of a printed circuit board (11). A carrier nest (16) is loaded with a permutation array of plugs (13) at a load station (20), advanced to an insert station where the array is checked, and then advanced to an unload station (22) where a group of insert pins act through carrier nest holes (17) to seat the plugs in the connector holes (12). At the inspect station, checks are made for missing plugs and plugs in wrong holes. If plugs in wrong holes are detected, the plugs are dumped from the carrier nest and a new array of plugs are loaded into the carrier nest (16). If a missing plug is detected, the carrier nest is returned to the load station and a plug is loaded into the proper nest hole (17).

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for coating elongated materials such as optical fibers wherein a shear force is developed by the elongated material moving through liquid coating material in a coating applicator of a magnitude such as to prevent the coating material from flooding the applicator.

Abstract: A high temperature induction furnace (10) for drawing lightguide fiber (52) from a silica preform (44) has an axially located tubular zirconium dioxide susceptor (34) therein. Prior to use, at least a portion of the inside surface of the susceptor (34) is coated with a vapor deposited silica "soot" (54). The silica soot (54) is then consolidated at an elevated temperature. Surprisingly, such a technique substantially eliminates migration of zirconium dioxide particles from the susceptor (34) to the preform (44) and/or the fiber 52 without deleteriously affecting the susceptor (34) and/or the operation of the furnace (10).

Abstract: A pair of vacuum chambers (27 and 28) are mounted on a T-bar gripper (19) which engages the back walls of a pair of adjacent batteries (16). Operation of a knurled, internally threaded collar (23) draws the vacuum chambers into sealed (54) engagement with the battery casings. A pair of drills (66) mounted at acute angles greater than 45.degree. are operated to drill angular holes (71) through the casings into the vicinity of the bottoms of the casings. Application of vacuum to the chambers draws electrolyte from the casings to levels below the levels of the entries of the angular holes into the casings.

Abstract: Components such as lids (9) and electronic chip carriers (10) are assembled by registering respective mating faces of each component. An array of assembly stations (75) are formed on an upwardly extending edge (67) of a base (66) having a special inclination. For example, a lid (9) is supported with its mating face upturned and a carrier (10) is supported with its mating face downturned upon the upturned face of the lid (9) on the base (66). The inclination causes the components to slide relative to each other and the base in a given direction within each station (75). A plate (92) overlies a plate (72), supported on and inclined with the base (66). Plate (72) has an opening (74) and plate (92) has an overlying opening (94) to each station (75). The openings (74) and (94) have respective reference edges for stopping sliding of, and thereby positioning an upturned lid (9) and a downturned carrier ( 10) thereupon with a desired registration.

Abstract: A switched capacitor biquadratic filter (10; 20) includes means for dynamically shifting the level of the input voltage (V.sub.B, V.sub.D ; V.sub.X, V.sub.Y,) of the amplifiers (12, 14), so that the need for a level shifting stage in the amplifiers (12; 14) is eliminated. The normally grounded nodes associated with the input ports of the amplifiers (12; 14) are set to a reference voltage (V.sub.B, V.sub.D ; V.sub.X, V.sub.Y) which shifts the inputs to a level appropriate to result in an analog grounded voltage at the outputs of the amplifiers. Internal level shifting stages are thereby eliminated from the amplifiers (12; 14). This gives the filter (10, 20) a broader operating frequency range.Also disclosed is a particular design for the amplifiers (12, 14) which includes a folded cascode mirror configuration.

Abstract: A method for mounting one or a plurality of multilead components (25-28) on a circuit board (20) is herein disclosed. The method comprises the steps of loading a releasable template (32) with the component/components to be mounted, positioning the releasable template proximate to the board, releasing the component/components from the template onto the board such that each lead of each component is proximate to a corresponding aperture in the board, and imparting a vibratory motion (via 29 and 23) to the board thereby inserting the component/components into the board. Also disclosed are various embodiments of an apparatus for achieving this mounting method using a programmable robotic arm (FIG. 2).

Abstract: First and second transparent metallized gauge plates (52 and 52') of solder-nonwettable, heat-resistant material, such as glass or quartz, each have a solder wave test pattern in the form of spaced parallel metal strips (56 and 56') formed thereon. The metal strips (56) on the first gauge plate (52) are of progressively increasing widths, with a narrowest strip located adjacent one edge of the plate and a widest strip located adjacent an opposite edge of the plate. The metal strips 56' on the second gauge plate (52') are of uniform widths. The first gauge plate (52) is engaged with a solder wave (34) to measure the activation level of a soldering flux (44) being introduced into the solder wave, and thereby to determine the capability of the solder wave to produce properly soldered printed circuit board assemblies (10).

Abstract: A spacer (52) of an interposer element (51) is placed between support surfaces (27) of a mounting chuck (12) in a projection printer (14) and a photomask (48) which is not protected by a coverplate. The interposer element (51) further features a transparent plate (53) which becomes interposed in the optical path (46) of the projection printer (14) in a position spaced from the photomask (48). The plate (53) shifts the objective focal plane (44) with respect to which the support surfaces (27) are adjusted outward away from an image plane by a distance equal to the shift of the objective focal plane due to the coverplate of a coverplate-protected photomask. Consequently, the spacer (52) features a preferred thickness of a coverplate of such coverplate-protected photomask to position patterns (21) of object features on the unprotected photomask (48) in the plane to which the focal plane is shifted by the interposed plate (53).

Abstract: Pressurized molten solder 71 is flowed along a confined first channel 86 and forced through a series of spaced, aligned apertures 88 as solder jets which rise, fall and merge to form a solder stream which flows along a second channel defined by channel walls 93 and 94. Spring held printed circuit boards 10 are advanced by a conveyor 21 which is tilted to move a far section of each board into engagement with the top of channel wall 93 and then a near section of each board into engagement with the top of channel wall 94 whereafter the board is spring held to ride along the tops of channel walls while a thin stripe of solder is applied to the board.

Abstract: A method which is particularly suitable to the manufacture of printed circuit boards of high resolution comprises the steps of forming a photoresist pattern having an ink coating over a substrate and subsequently depositing a species catalytic to electroless plating on the exposed substrate surface and then forming a flash electroless deposit thereon. The ink coating is then removed together with any overlying deposit leaving the photoresist intact so as to prevent spreading of the deposited flash metal pattern during the subsequent step of full buildup electroless and/or electrolytic plating.

Abstract: A composite article of this invention is made by successive molding steps and comprises an insert assembly that includes a metallic portion and a plastic locating framework in which the metallic portion is precisely mounted with respect to references points on the locating framework. The locating framework is mounted within a housing with the insert assembly precisely positioned with respect to the housing to cause the metallic portions to be substantially precisely positioned with respect to an external surface of the housing. In one embodiment, which is a hand tool that is moved slidably along a connector to sever conductors, a cutting blade is substantially precisely positioned in the locating framework of the insert assembly. Plastic is flowed about the framework in a mold cavity to form the housing.

Abstract: An in-line tool (20) is provided with a jacket (50) which includes a flexible substrate material (53) having a plurality of ribs (51--51) adhered thereto. The jacket is such that when it is wrapped about a barrel (41) of the tool, the ribs extend longitudinally along the tool barrel. The substrate material between adjacent ribs may be cut to provide a jacket which is tailored to the barrel of a particular size tool. Strips (55, 56 and 59) of material having relatively flexible hooking and looping elements projecting therefrom are attached to the jacket and to the barrel. When the jacket is wrapped about the barrel, the hooking and looping elements interlock to secure the jacket to the barrel. Tabs (54--54) extend laterally of the barrel from an end of each of a predetermined number of ribs adjacent to a working portion (40) of the tool. A user grasps the tool in a manner to cause the ulnar side (48) of the gripping hand (43) to engage the tabs.