Abstract: The presence of an article at a specified location is detected by measuring a change in capacitance which is caused by the placement of the article at the specified location. The device used for this measurement includes an oscillator the frequency whereof is rendered highly sensitive to the capacitance being measured by structure which includes a triaxial cable and by electrical circuitry which includes a voltage follower circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus checks a closure on an end of a bag having loosely packed goods contained therein. A first conveyor extends the length of the apparatus. Second and third conveyors are positioned adjacent one side of the first conveyor. A gap is defined between the second conveyor and the third conveyor. Adjacent portions of the first conveyor and second conveyor are coplanar to define a first surface moving in the same direction at the same speed that fully supports the bag moving thereon. Adjacent portions of the first conveyor and the third conveyor are coplanar to define a second surface moving in the same direction at the same speed as the first surface that also fully supports the bag moving thereon. The first conveyor partially supports the bag such that the end thereof and a portion of the loosely packed goods contained in the bag are unsupported by the first conveyor in the area of the gap.

Abstract: A current limiting circuit breaker including novel clutch arrangements between the contact arms of the circuit breaker and the crossbar. The clutch arrangements include cam surfaces formed on the crossbar from plastic and a cam follower attached to each contact arm. A cam surface is located on each side of each contact arm and each surface may be formed integrally with an insulating barrier. To reduce wear on the cam surfaces, each cam follower includes a roller which contacts the respective cam surface. The cam surfaces are configured to permit the contact arms to blow open under unacceptable fault conditions even though the crossbar remains stationary.

Abstract: A battery holder (25) holds a battery (27) in spaced relation to a printed circuit board (30), sufficient space (43) being provided between the printed circuit board (30) and the battery (27) for mounting of circuit components (47,49) on the printed circuit board (30) between the battery holder and the printed circuit board. A connection is provided between a connector (85) mounted on the printed circuit board (30) and a connector (82) mounted on leads (78) which are attached to the battery (27), the connection providing for the electrical connection and disconnection of the battery (27) and the printed circuit board (30). A housing (10) is provided for mounting the printed circuit board (30), battery holder (25) and battery (27) therein. The battery holder (25) is provided with a deformable retention clip (56) for retention of the battery (27) within a chamber (50,51) the holder (25), and in response to actuation by an operator, removal of the battery from the holder.

Abstract: The temperature of articles in an "environmental" chamber is stabilized by evacuation of the "environmental" chamber, after having stabilized the temperature of such an article to approximate that of a controlled-temperature member spaced from the article by a small gap, to a pressure just sufficient to provide viscous gas behavior, adjusting the temperature of the article to closely match that of the member by gas conduction heat transfer across the gap, and evacuating the chamber to high vacuum.

Abstract: A printed circuit board inspection system acquires images for purposes of inspection from viewing fields defined along the surface of the printed circuit board to be inspected which can be varied in size to accommodate the density and tolerance of components associated with the printed circuit board under inspection. To this end, the cameras of the inspection head associated with the printed circuit board inspection system are provided with zoom lenses, which are capable of controlled operation responsive to the existing microprocessor systems of the printed circuit board inspection system. This allows the magnification of images acquired by the cameras to be varied, as desired, in turn varying the size of the viewing fields defined for inspection purposes. The inspection head is then operated at a rate commensurate with the size of the viewing fields which have been selected.

Abstract: An improved circuit breaker with moving line and load contacts is disclosed herein. The circuit breaker includes an enclosure for the operational components thereof including a line contact arm and associated contact for each phase of the circuit breaker, and an operating mechanism supported within the enclosure to move the contact arm(s) between open and closed positions. The circuit breaker also includes a terminal for each phase pivotally supported within the enclosure, and a load contact arm and associated contact for each phase pivotally connected to the terminal. The contact arms are supported so the contacts are engaged when the line contact arms are in the closed positions. The pivoted load terminal(s) allow the use of multiple connector types with the terminal(s), and the pivoting connection between the load contact arm and associated terminal facilitates a reduction in circuit breaker size for a given rating.

Abstract: A system for attaching electrical contacts to the conductive ends of wires preferably provides simultaneous sorting operations, wherein different contacts from separate batches are simultaneously sorted in consecutive order; preselection operations, wherein contacts stuck together are removed; simultaneous holding operations, wherein presorted contacts from each batch are accumulated in separate, automatically resupplied queues, for rapid subsequent retrieval by the operator; pneumatic transporting operations, wherein contacts are rapidly retrieved from any queue selected and prealigned opposite the crimping jaws of a crimping unit; and two-step crimping operations, wherein prealigned contacts are quickly gripped by partially closed crimping jaws, in the first step, in preparation for the second step of wire end insertion and full crimping.

Abstract: A feeder system for sequentially supplying a plurality of cuvettes or other objects to a conveyor track. The system includes a cassette, an escapement, and an actuator. The cassette retains the objects/cuvettes in at least one substantially vertical stack over the conveyor. The escapement is movable between a first position in which the escapement supports the bottom object in the stack, a second middle position in which the escapement supports both the bottom object and the object above it and a third position in which the escapement continues to support the object in said stack above the bottom object and releases the bottom object to be deposited on the conveyor. The actuator moves the escapement between the first, second and third positions. Novel apparatus for use in the system, including a stick for loading cuvettes into a cassette and a cuvette particularly adapted for stacking, are also provided.

Abstract: A current limiting circuit breaker including a novel spring arrangement between the contact arms of the circuit breaker and the crossbar. The spring arrangement includes a single spring which holds the cam follower attached to each associated contact arm in contact with cam surfaces of the crossbar. The longitudinal axis of the spring is located within a plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the contact arm, wherein the plane is also perpendicular to the rotational axis of the contact arm. The cam surfaces and spring are configured to permit the contact arm to blow open under unacceptable fault conditions even though the crossbar remains stationary.

Abstract: A multi-phase circuit breaker including novel crossbar for opening and closing the circuit breaker contact arms. The crossbar is a one-piece plastic component molded to include an operating arm, insulating barriers for separating the contact arms of each phase, and the cam surfaces which interact with the cam followers of the contact arms. The operating arm is linked to the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker so that operation of the mechanism will pivot the crossbar which pivots the contact arms between their open and closed positions.

Abstract: A graphic data processing apparatus comprising a CPU coupled to an entry device, storage storing graphic data and a plurality of programs and a display, and adapted such that a command mode for drawing a desired graphic form is selected by designating the corresponding desired graphic form in the already displayed graphic forms and a program for drawing the graphic form is automatically selected.

Abstract: The reliable population of a ball grid array is achieved by attaching the array to the inner face of a wheel which is rotatable about a central axis. A tooling fixture is attached to the outer face of the wheel. Each of the ball grid array and the tooling fixture has a face with recesses and the faces face one another. The wheel moves the tooling fixture into a reservoir of solder balls to populate the recesses in the tooling fixture and the solder balls are dropped into the corresponding recesses of the ball grid array when the wheel rotates to a position where the recesses in the ball grid array are beneath the recesses in the tooling fixture. The array and the fixture are spaced apart initially so that the rotation of the wheel moves only the fixture through the reservoir ensuring that all recesses in the fixture are filled and that all solder balls not occupying recesses are removed from the surface of the fixture by the force of gravity as the wheel turns.

Abstract: A voltage regulator controller including three types of data logs which are operator selectable and configurable. An operator can enable data logging to occur at specific times and intervals. The voltage regulator controller includes a real time clock/calendar and interval timer to support this function. In a preferred embodiment, the controller includes an event log, a snapshot interval log and a minimum/maximum metered parameter log. Advantageously, the event log can be programmed to monitor configuration changes made from the voltage regulator controller's front panel or from a remote device. The voltage regulator controller also includes a memory card interface which enables the log contents to be uploaded to a removable PCMCIA standard memory card.

Abstract: A low voltage AC electric power monitoring system includes a processor which samples the current and circuit breaker system includes a processor which samples each of the current components at seventeen samples per cycle to obtain current samples representing a single period of the AC power signal. The processor samples the voltage component at different points in the voltage cycle over several cycles to obtain voltage samples representing a single period of the AC power signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plug-in ground fault monitor module for a circuit breaker trip unit configured to operate with a plurality of different plug-in plug-in modules. The ground fault monitor module includes a memory which stores data representative of the its particular function. This memory is readable by the trip unit and enables the trip unit to automatically adapt to communicate monitored ground fault data to the ground fault module. The ground fault module also includes means for setting threshold levels for a ground fault alarm signal. The ground fault alarm signal is generated independently of ground fault alarms in the trip unit based on its internal thresholds. This signal can be used to control an external relay which operates a shunt trip mechanism or an external alarm. The trip unit includes a processor and programming which permits a bi-directional flow of data between the units, such as display data and control data.

Abstract: A three-phase electrical power distribution busway having neutral busbars configured to have a higher current carrying capacity than each of the phase busbars of the busway is described, The neutral busbars have a combined cross-sectional area which is greater than the cross-sectional area of each of the phase busbars. The neutral busbars have a rectangular cross-section configured to reduce the skin effect and reduce ohmic heating caused by increased neutral busbar currents resulting from non-linear loads.

Abstract: The present invention is a device for weighing and breaking eggs, and a method for weighing and breaking eggs. The eggs are conveyed on a conveyor to an egg-weighing station, at which each egg is individually weighed. The weight of each egg is sent to a storage and processing device, where the weight values are summed to arrive at a total value for all eggs passing through the egg-weighing station. The eggs are then conveyed to an egg-breaking machine, which may also separate the contents of the eggs broken in the egg-breaking machine. The data in the processor can be used to accurately calculate the weight of eggs processed by the egg-breaking machine. In addition, this data can be used to calculate the yield of the machine, by comparing it with data regarding the weight of the shells of the broken eggs and the weight of the egg contents from the broken eggs.

Abstract: A wide variety of product types, sizes and shapes are sorted into designated destination bins or other outputs utilizing a computer controlled transport path that includes an infeed section and a pinch roller diverting section. The infeed section receives a singulated stream of products to be sorted, optically scans each product for a destination code and transports the products downstream to the diverting section. The diverting section consists of a series of individually and selectively controlled roller pairs in combination with a number of diverting gates. Each roller pair includes an upper foam covered pinch roller and a lower friction drive roller oriented such that products moving downstream pass between each roller pair until diverted from the transport path. An array of photoelectric detectors provide product position information to identify and track product movement through the apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for fusing terminal or commutator wire connections on an armature or stator, including an electrode, a pneumatic locking cylinder for driving the electrode into contact with the workpiece and applying a force to the workpiece, a load cell for measuring the force applied by the electrode, an opposition cylinder for providing an opposition force to the electrode after a cold-forming force has been reached by the electrode, a linear potentiometer for measuring the distance traveled by the electrode after the opposition force has been applied; and a locking mechanism for stopping the locking cylinder after a predetermined distance has been traveled during the weld cycle.