Abstract: A controlled dimmer lighting system suitable for television studios, remote television pickups and stage lighting employs small, solid state dimmer circuits of the SCR-type on a dimmer per lamp basis. Each dimmer and its associated series-connected lamp is directly connected to a respective power outlet, and a preselected group of the dimmers is controlled in unison by a common time-variable pulse generator for firing the SCRs. The common pulse generator is mounted in a lighting control console, and pulse signals for controlling the dimmers are coupled by miniature coaxial signal cables to the dimmers of the preselected group. The system eliminates the power patch panels and dimmer room required in current studio lighting systems and achieves a simplification in grid outlet wiring, resulting in a significant reduction in size and cost as compared to available studio lighting systems.

Abstract: A comb filter system for the separation of the luminance and chrominance components of an NTSC color television signal which analyzes the video signal on the television lines and detects luminance or color transistions in the vertical direction, and in response to the presence of one or both of such transitions, automatically either modifies or removes the comb filter, to minimize transient distortions in the reconstructed television picture. The system can be implemented in either the analog domain or the digital domain.

Abstract: A competitive pneumatic game to be played by two persons includes a straight section of rigid, transparent tubing having compressible air bellows secured to its opposite ends and a projectile disposed within the tubing for movement therealong by air pressure in the tube. Associated with each of the bellows is a scoring indicator actuable when the projectile strikes it. The object of the game is for one player to force the projectile, by skillful manipulation of his bellows against the manipulation by his opponent of his bellows, to strike the scoring indicator at the opponent's end of the tubing.

Abstract: The present electromagnetic pickup and method, and the piano incorporating the pickup, make use of a protuberant magnetic pole piece portion which is so constructed and related that (a) the lines of magnetic force loop back therefrom, and (b) the concentration of such lines is sharply more dense on one side of such portion than on the other side thereof (the magnetic field adjacent such portion being therefore highly asymmetrical). The tine tip is caused to vibrate adjacent such portion, which produces in an associated coil a musical signal characterized by a high degree of brilliance and piano-like musicality -- without an excess of the second harmonic. The pole piece portion is preferably offset from the axis of the coil. Preferably, there are two such offset portions, spaced on opposite sides of the coil axis, and each has a peak shaped as a substantial point or edge.

Abstract: A game to be played by two persons in competition or by one person against time, the game apparatus including a base member simulative of a boat on which is supported a vertical mast structure having a plurality of crossarms projecting outwardly at various levels, two pairs of strings which are tethered at one end to the top of the mast and each string having a hand grip at its other end, a pair of rings each surrounding one pair of the strings and having a hook secured thereto, and a plurality of game pieces each simulative of a fish and having an aperture for receiving the hook. The game pieces are removably supported in an upright position on the base member, half of them on either side of the mast, to be engaged by a corresponding hook.

Abstract: System for transmitting and receiving two complete color television pictures from two separate sources in common synchronism wherein the odd-numbered fields of the picture from one of the sources are transmitted in alternation with even-numbered fields of the other of the sources and wherein reception and reconstruction of the two pictures is accomplished by alternately storing the successive odd- and even-numbered fields in a field store having a delay of one field plus or minus half a line and recombining the delayed fields with their respective undelayed fields to recreate the two separate pictures. By utilizing a delay of exactly one field plus or minus half a line (i.e.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium comprising a base having a coating thereon containing magnetic particles, and wherein the binder contains a vinyl terpolymer and a diisocyanate.

Abstract: A snare drum is formed of a batter head assembly and a snare head assembly fixedly held in mutually spaced apart relation by a number of support rods. A cylindrical tone ring is seated upon the snare head assembly and extends toward but short of the batter head assembly to provide a resonating chamber for the snare head.

Abstract: A knife having an easily removable blade has an elongated tubular housing having front and rear ends. An elongated stem is proportioned to fit slidably in the housing, the stem widening circumferentially in tapered fashion at the front end of the housing to define a blade-holding chuck having a blade-holding slot. The chuck is circumferentially proportioned to be compressed within the housing when the stem is slid rearwardly so as to contract the width of the slot to a blade-grasping width. A toggle lever is pivotally mounted on the stem at the rear end of the housing, the lever having a beveled edge opposing the rear edge of the housing and adapted, when the toggle lever is pivotally urged to a position essentially colinear with the housing, to contact said rear edge and forcibly slide the stem rearwardly in the housing so as to contract the blade-receiving slot.

Abstract: A swivel knife that is convertible for use as a conventional knife wherein the blade is rigidly mounted. A tubular housing having front and rear ends has an elongated generally cylindrical stem mounted therein and normally rotatable with respect thereto. The stem has a blade-holding end at the front of the housing and a free end at the rear of the housing. The stem is proportioned at the free end to be radially spaced from the housing. A cap member is provided in the shape of a hollow generally cylindrical shell proportioned to be forcibly inserted in the space between the housing and the free end to prevent relative rotation of the stem in the housing.

Abstract: The disclosure pertains to an apparatus for receiving electronic signals and embossing modulated grooves on a carrier medium as a function of the received signals, the apparatus including a support for supporting an embossing assembly and a carrier medium in spaced relationship therewith, as well as apparatus for causing relative motion between the carrier medium and the embossing assembly. In accordance with the invention there is provided a wafer of piezoelectric material affixed to the mount, the wafer having electrodes for application of the electronic signals. Further provided is a horn-shaped stylus member having a relatively blunt end affixed to one side of the wafer and tapering to a relatively pointy stylus end, the stylus end being positionable in contact with the medium. The horn-shaped member serves to match the mechanical impedence as between the wafer and the carrier.

Abstract: A selective distortion control circuit for an electrical musical instrument employs a cathode or emitter follower valve having a load resistance that is selectively changed to provide either a clean or distorted output signal. The mutually in-phase clean input and distorted output of the valve are connected to opposite sides of a potentiometer of which the wiper provides a selectively proportioned mixture of clean and distorted signals. The relative amount of distortion may be selected, and once selected, the operator may readily choose between clean and distorted sound by changing the load resistance.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are described for translating or "encoding" the left and right signals from a stereophonic source such that when the signals are reproduced by a four-channel decoder the resulting sound field is highly simulative of that produced from a quadraphonically-encoded record.

Abstract: A system for generating audible information from indicia printed on a paper, the system being particularly applicable to indicia printed in ink by conventional printing techniques. A printed sound track is provided, the sound track being oriented on the paper in a direction defined as the manual scanning direction, this being the horizontal direction in most instances. The track consists of a multiplicity of elongated parallel sound track segments printed on the paper in closely spaced arrangement. The segments are oriented in a direction which is generally transverse a manual scanning direction, i.e., the vertical direction in most instances. Also provided is an optical scanner adapted to be manually scanned over the sound track in a manual scanning direction. The scanner includes automatic means for continuously scanning the segments longitudinally to produce electrical signals representative of audio information. Means are also provided for converting the electrical signals into audible signals.

Abstract: Apparatus for decoding four separate channels of information transmitted on two channels or transduced from a medium having only two separate tracks and presenting it on four loudspeakers to give the listener the illusion of sound coming from a corresponding number of separate sources. The realism is enhanced by a decoding matrix which accepts the two outputs from the medium, which may be a stereophonic disc record, separates them into four independent channels each respectively carrying predominantly the information contained in one of the four original recorded sound signals, and, utilizing a logic network which senses the signal amplitudes and phase positions, derives control signals for controlling the gains of amplifiers associated with the four loudspeakers. The logic control circuitry improves the realism of four independent channels by essentially eliminating undesired cross-talk which may accompany the signals produced by the decoding matrix.

Abstract: A pictorial amusement device for children consisting of two cooperating parts, a generally cubical block having four side surfaces and top and bottom surfaces, the side surfaces having representations thereon of a human figure from the shoulders down in four different attires depicting different human activities, and a cylindrical block dimensioned to be received in a central socket in the top surface of the cubical block. The cylindrical block has a length approximately twice the depth of the socket, approximately half of which has a representation on the outer surface thereof of a human head with a smiling face and the other half of which has a representation of a human head with a frowning face, the smiling and frowning faces being inverted relative to each other.