Abstract: An electric load center having an enclosure with a push-in screw holder fixture, a door latch comprising a one-piece molded member having a flexible tongue which urges the door latch toward the hinged door edge keeping a hook biasedly engaged with an underside edge of the trim, a neutral bar having an elongated body portion with a trapezoidal shaped cross-sectional area with outwardly sloping downward extending side walls having apertures for insertion of electrical wires, a neutral tie bar adapted to be electrically connected to the enclosure of the load center, a main lug insulator having trough-shaped longitudinally extending compartments and first and second support legs for positioning over the neutral tie bar, a basepan having a surface with integrally formed posts with an undercut extending around its periphery for securing a component of the load center to the surface by heat staking, the surface having two spaced apart integrally formed wall members extending upward from the surface forming a barrier

Abstract: There are provided a method and an apparatus for determining at least one sheet stretch value of a roll of material. The method comprises the steps of (a) radially marking one side end of the roll from periphery thereof to produce a series of aligned marks along a radius thereof; (b) supporting the roll in such a manner that it is free to rotate, thus allowing relaxation of peripheral layers thereof; and (c) after steps (a) and (b), measuring a lateral shifting value GAP of one of the marks, which is the outermost in periphery of the roll, with respect to an adjacent mark.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying in real time an operating condition of an in-service electrical device which draws a power load by monitoring spectral content of the power signature and associating spectral components with device operating conditions. In the preferred embodiment, motor (12) power line current signature is sampled by data conditioning sampler (18). Preprocessor (30) spectrally separates the current signature into plural frequency domain components having respective frequency and magnitude values. Spectral characteristic component selector filter (40) selects for analysis at least one specific spectral component by referencing a base of stored knowledge of operational characteristics of the motor. A neural network (50) associates without supervision the selected detected spectral component with an operating condition of the motor (12). The base of stored knowledge is updated with new operating condition associations which have been made during real-time monitoring.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus (26) for forming a box blank from a generally-rectangular sheet of material. The apparatus has a frame (28) for supporting and guiding the sheet; and endless advancement belt (31) for controllably moving the sheet relative to the frame through the apparatus; guide rails (32) extending generally across the sheet; a carriage (34) mounted on the guide rails for horizontal movement relative thereto; a cutting blade (35) mounted for horizontal movement with the carriage and operatively arranged to be rotated about an axis; a blade actuator (36) for selectively causing the blade to have a vertical component of movement relative to the carriage; a punch (38) mounted on the carriage and selectively operable to punch a hole in the sheet; a transverse creasing roller (39) mounted on the carriage; and a pair of adjustable longitudinal creasing rollers (40) mounted on the platform.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing a textile product from a continuous strip of material having borders defining discrete panels. The apparatus pulls the strip along a pre-determined path. As the strip is advanced, the border of a panel is detected. Based upon the distance the panel is advanced after the detection of the border, the length of each panel is determined while the width of each panel is measured. Each panel is then cut from the strip and maneuvered along a calculated path for finishing based upon the determination of length and width.

Abstract: An electric busbar for use with an electrical power distribution busway system which includes a press formed plug-in tab configured for attachment to a connector at a power tap-off section of the busway is described. The busbar has a substantially rectangular cross-section, a length, a width defined by a pair of edges, and a thickness defined by a top side and a bottom side. The plug-in tab is formed by pressing the conductive material in a direction generally perpendicular to the top and bottom sides until material is displaced outwardly from at least one of the edges. Depressions are formed in the bar of conductive material at the location of the press formed tab. In the most preferred embodiment, the volume of the depressions is substantially equal to the volume of the material in the tab.

Abstract: A tap changer including a tap positionable to vary the winding ratio of the transformer in response to changes in an electric load on the transformer is disclosed herein. The transformer includes an electric drive which is electrically powered to selectively position the tap to effect incremental changes of the winding ratio. The transformer includes a monitoring system which monitors the load voltage of the transformer with at least one potential transformer which produces signals which are converted to digital data values stored in a circular data buffer. Each time control signals are applied to the electric drive and a subsequent tap change indication is detected, the first and last data values in the circular buffer are compared, and when the difference between the values exceeds a predetermine limit, the system updates a tap position value which represents the position of the tap.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multiple-row egg breaking and separating machine in which the egg contents and egg shells are passed adjacent one another through an inspection station at which the contents of the egg can be rejected because the shell or contents are contaminated, defective or abnormal. The present invention is particularly useful for high-speed breaking operations, yet still allows the inspector to view all the parts of the eggs for possible rejection of the egg contents. The present invention is particularly suited for automatic scanning of egg shells and contents, and eliminates possible U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) objections to prior art multiple-row egg breaking machines.

Abstract: This invention relates, generally, to the recording of power related characteristics of power flowing through an electronic circuit breaker. Briefly stated, an electronic circuit breaker having a micro-processor therein and at least one port or pin on the micro-processor is used to produce an output pulse with time and/or frequency of the pulse related to the power characteristic being measured. This output pulse is thereafter transmitted to a recorder which is preferably a pulse data recorder or may be a data recorde.

Abstract: A wafer transfer system is operable with a front or side loading wafer carrier to move one or more horizontally oriented wafers out of the carrier and to rotate the wafers to a vertical orientation in which the wafers are accessible for further processing. The transfer system provides a wafer extractor which employs a plurality of paired fingers of a size and configuration to fit between the spaced, stacked wafers in the carrier for lifting the wafers off the shoulders of the carrier. The fingers are then movable generally horizontally to remove the wafers from the carrier into two angled combs having ledges for receiving wafers. The fingers and combs are rotated to a vertical orientation in which the wafers are supported along their edges by the combs. The fingers are shifted horizontally a small amount relative to the combs to disengage from the wafers, either by a translation following the rotation or by rotating the fingers and combs about different axes.

Abstract: A remote controlled circuit breaker providing thermal and magnetic overload current protection as well as remote load management capability.

Abstract: A system is provided for batch loading semiconductor wafers into a load lock from a portable carrier used for supporting a plurality of the wafers in spaced relationship and transporting them in a particle free environment. The carrier is supported adjacent a load lock chamber also having a particle free environment. A multilevel end effector associated with the load lock chamber includes a plurality of spaced end effector sets, each set being adapted to support a wafer thereon and aligned with an associated wafer supported in the carrier. The plurality of wafers are engaged and simultaneously retrieved as a grouping, then held in the load lock chamber for subsequent transport, one at a time, into an adjacent transport chamber for delivery to a specified one of a plurality of processing stations. A mini-environment sealingly isolates the load lock chamber and the interior of the carrier from the surrounding atmosphere.

Abstract: A Redundant Networked Database System is taught. Briefly stated, Control System Computers are designated for primary and backup database operation with applications being inputable to either primary or backup. Upon changes to the database, the primary and backup communication agents communicate with each other and to automatically update the backup. In this fashion, the primary and backup databases are automatically synchronized without manual intervention or the need for reinputting of the changes to the backup database.

Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing measured amounts of powder for use in automated sample handling. The dispenser includes a cylindrical housing having a central cavity with an axial opening into the cavity at one end of the housing and a relatively narrow passage from the cavity leading out of the cylindrical housing through a nozzle at the opposite end thereof. A powder containing vial is removably mounted on the cylindrical housing. A radial passage through the cylindrical housing connects the vial with the narrow passage to discharge powder out through the nozzle. The cylindrical housing is rotatable supported on a mount through which extends a driven shaft. The driven shaft includes a worm drive located in the relatively narrow passage. A drive belt is provided to oscillate the cylindrical housing and the powder reservoir.

Abstract: A system is provided for batch loading semiconductor wafers into a load lock from a portable carrier used for supporting a plurality of the wafers in spaced relationship and transporting them in a particle free environment. The carrier is supported adjacent a load lock chamber which also has a particle free environment. Wafers are retrieved from the carrier and then held in the load lock chamber for subsequent transport, one at a time, into an adjacent transport chamber for delivery to a specified one of a plurality of processing stations. A mini-environment sealingly isolates the load lock chamber and the interior of the carrier from the surrounding atmosphere. Mechanisms are provided for individually moving a carrier door and a load lock door between closed, sealed, positions and open positions, then as a unit to a parked position remote from the region between the carrier and the load lock chamber.

Abstract: A system is provided for batch loading semiconductor wafers into a load lock from a portable carrier used for supporting a plurality of the wafers in spaced relationship and transporting them in a particle free environment. The carrier is supported adjacent a load lock chamber which also has a particle free environment. A multilevel end effector associated with the load lock chamber includes a plurality of spaced end effector sets, each set being adapted to support a wafer thereon and aligned with an associated wafer supported in the carrier. The plurality of wafers are engaged and simultaneously retrieved as a grouping, then held in the load lock chamber awaiting further processing.

Abstract: A powder hopper with an internal air assist is provided with at least one vertically extending tube having a plurality of air outlet ports which are utilized in agitating the powder within a powder chamber. According to a first embodiment, the vertically extending tubes are rotated about a central axis. According to a second embodiment, the vertically extending tube is divided up into a plurality of zones which are sequentially provided with pulses of compressed air, thereby providing an equivalent air agitation rotating action without the requirement of rotating the vertically extending tube.

Abstract: A sensor method and apparatus for an optical wheel alignment machine utilizes one or more light sources, such as lasers, to project a laser line or other shaped light onto various locations about the sidewall of a tire undergoing measurement. The sensor includes a video camera or other light responsive receiver and a optical system that combines the reflected laser lines into a single image that is received by the camera. The optical system also rotates one or more of the reflected laser lines so that all of the reflected portions have the same general orientation upon entering the camera. The camera outputs a video data stream that is indicative of the image. The sensor has an electronic circuit that analyzes this video data stream in real time to determine the location in the image of a preselected feature of each of the laser lines. The circuit then outputs coordinate data indicative of the location of this feature.

Abstract: An electrical apparatus (100) line actuator (102), such as a voltage regulator or circuit breaker, has resident therein a personality module, electronically reconfigurable memory device (126) which stores actuator operational information, such as specifications (132), historical and maintenance information. An apparatus controller (106) communicates with the personality module (126) and can change the operational information stored therein. If either or both of the controller (106) and actuator (102) is replaced at a site, the controller (106) of the replacement apparatus configuration (100) can read the operational information stored in the personality module (126) and adapt its operational interaction with the actuator (102) in conformance with the information.

Abstract: A high speed programmable logic controller is taught. Briefly stated a Programmable Logic Controller having memory, a microprocessor and a Co-Processor are operatively interconnected using a Harvard style architecture therefore having separate data and instruction busses. The Co-Processor acts as a Boolean Processor and is therefore able to simultaneously perform instruction fetches and executions thereby resulting in substantially increased overall speed of the PLC and therefore allowing for fast process control.