Abstract: A carbon fiber for a field electron emitter has a coaxial stacking morphology of truncated conical tubular graphene layers, each of which includes a hexagonal carbon layer and has a large ring end and a small ring end at opposite ends in the axial direction. The edges of the hexagonal carbon layers are exposed on at least part of the large ring ends. Since all the exposed edges function as electron emission tips, a large amount of emission current can be obtained.

Abstract: A fluorinated carbon fiber has a hollow core structure in which a number of hexagonal carbon layers in the shape of a cup having no bottom are stacked. Edges of the hexagonal carbon layers are exposed on the inner and outer surfaces of the fluorinated carbon fiber. In the fluorinated carbon fiber, the exposed edges of the hexagonal carbon layers are fluorinated and have a structure shown by CxFy.

Abstract: In an expanded carbon fiber product according to the present invention, a number of hexagonal carbon layers in the shape of a cup having no bottom are stacked. At least part of edges of the hexagonal carbon layers is exposed at an outer surface or inner surface of the expanded carbon fiber product. At least part of gaps between the hexagonal carbon layers is larger than the gaps between the hexagonal carbon layers at the time of vapor growth.

Abstract: A reciprocating rotary action actuator consisting of a rotor and stator that can be added to a bi-directional rotary motor or galvanometer scanner, where the stator has a ring magnet and a pair of soft iron pole pieces that concentrate the flux of the ring magnet into a concentric set of narrow, uniformly spaced, axially oriented, magnetic flux fields intersecting the rotor's field of travel. The rotor has small permanent magnets embedded in the periphery of a nonconductive, nonmagnetic rotor core. The rotor magnets have the same number and spacing as the stator's magnetic flux fields. The magnet poles are oriented opposite the flux fields of the stator pole pieces, so that upon rotation, the rotor magnets encounter the stator flux fields at each end of rotor travel, creating an opposing force that reverses the angular direction of the rotor with minimal requirement for actuator current and generation of thermal losses.

Abstract: A galvanometer unit includes a limited-rotation motor with a load element such as a mirror attached to a shaft extending from the motor. In a servo loop that controls the angular position of the mirror, a position-sensor attached to the shaft provides position feedback information. The sensor includes a rotor which is positioned at the null point of the fundamental torsional resonance mode of the rotating system, thereby essentially eliminating feedback components resulting from the resonance.

Abstract: A capacitive sensing system for detecting the angular position of a rotatable member of a motor. The position detection system includes a cylindrical excitation pin attached to the housing of the motor and a tubular signal plate, having a plurality of sensing surfaces symmetrically arranged about the axis of rotation of the rotatable member, which surrounds the cylindrical excitation pin and, which is also attached to the motor housing. A lobed dielectric is attached to the rotatable member of the motor and inserted between the cylindrical excitation pin and the tubular signal plate. An electric circuit connected to the sensing surfaces of the tubular signal plate calculates the relative angular position of the rotatable member from the amount of energy detected at each of the sensing surfaces.

Abstract: In a reciprocating rotor device such as a scanning galvanometer, a bearing assembly consisting of a rheological bearing coupler interposed between the rotor shaft and the bearing support structure or housing, where the rheological bearing coupler is relatively stiff during constant-velocity portions of rotor rotation, assuring adequate geometrical precision of the rotor within the rotor housing during the scanning phase. When loaded beyond a design load threshold by acceleration-induced moments causing lateral or asymmetrical force applied between the shaft and the bearing support structure during changes in rotor speed, becomes relatively compliant or resilient, absorbing a portion of the load at the expense of momentary axial misalignment of the rotor, then returning to original shape and realigning the rotor to it's correct precision axial position when the acceleration forces are abated.

Abstract: A laser clamping system for a disc laser medium that includes two heat conductive members (one of which is optically transparent) positioned on either side of a disc laser. Pressure is applied to the conductive members to restrain the disc from deforming under pumping conditions to reduce the lensing effect. Thin disc geometry allows the thermal load of laser material to be much closer to the heat conductive members so that heat dissipation is generally more efficient than that of other geometric configurations (e.g. rod or slab). In disc lasers each part of the laser beam experiences the same temperature gradient so that there is no lensing effect caused by radial temperature distribution. It has been discovered that any resulting lensing effect is disc lasers is mainly from the thermo-mechanical deformation of the disc itself.

Abstract: A galvanometer unit comprises a limited-rotation motor with a load element such as a mirror attached to a shaft extending from the motor. In a servo loop that controls the angular position of the mirror, a position-sensor attached to the shaft provides position feedback information. The sensor includes a rotor which is positioned at the null point of the fundamental torsional resonance mode of the rotating system, thereby essentially eliminating feedback components resulting from the resonance.

Abstract: An energy-efficient method and system for processing target material such as microstructures in a microscopic region without causing undesirable changes in electrical and/or physical characteristics of material surrounding the target material is provided. The system includes a controller for generating a processing control signal and a signal generator for generating a modulated drive waveform based on the processing control signal. The waveform has a sub-nanosecond rise time. The system also includes a gain-switched, pulsed semiconductor seed laser for generating a laser pulse train at a repetition rate. The drive waveform pumps the laser so that each pulse of the pulse train has a predetermined shape. Further, the system includes a laser amplifier for optically amplifying the pulse train to obtain an amplified pulse train without significantly changing the predetermined shape of the pulses.

Abstract: For protecting a fibre optic conductor assembly from errant radiant energy, this invention provides a body mounted adjacent to an optical fibre so as to provide an alternate path for radiant energy adjacent to the path defined by the optical fibre, the body having a distal end which is angled so that radiant energy reaching the distal end undergoes total-internal-reflection so as to be re-directed out of the body and away from the optical fibre.

Abstract: In an optical-radiation patterning apparatus, a scan mirror (29) so deflects laser light from a source (32) as to draw a pattern on a substrate (26). A focusing system (42) forms a light spot on the substrate that is significantly narrower than the line to be drawn, and it thereby minimizes the sensitivity of the line-edge position to variations in light-spot size. To achieve the intended line width, an acousto-optical device (32) introduces dither in the direction orthogonal to the light-spot motion that the scan mirror (30) causes. The focusing system (42) shapes the spot so that it is wider in the scan direction than it is in the dither direction, and this permits a relatively high scan rate for a given dither frequency.

Abstract: A poultry feeder which includes a mechanism for automatically adjusting the size of the opening from the feeder's drop tube to the feeder pan so as to permit the feed pan to be flooded with feed as young chicks are introduced into a poultry house and then, as the chicks grow, to automatically reduce the amount of feed introduced into the pan. The feeder includes a feed level controller movable relative to the feeder's drop tube to be moveable axially relative to the drop tube and feeder pan. The drop tube includes a plurality of support members (fins) pivotally mounted to the drop tube body and which extend from the body outlet.

Abstract: A galvanometer unit comprises a limited-rotation motor, which has axial symmetry of the major motor components including axial placement of the bearings, stator drive coils, and stator back iron with respect to the magnetic center of the rotor, and which employs a cylindrical magnet having significantly uniform properties along its length. The galvanometer employs independently “hard” and “soft” preloaded bearings, which simultaneously minimize axial displacement and account for thermal expansion of the rotor assembly and which improve the overall efficiency of the galvanometer and extend the service life of the bearings.

Abstract: A rotary bearing includes concentric radially spaced-apart inner, intermediate and outer rings whose opposing surfaces define inner and outer ball tracks. An inner array of balls roll along the inner track and an outer array of balls roll along the outer track and a viscous lubricant is present between the rings. When the inner and outer rings are angularly reciprocated relative to one another and that reciprocation is changed, the intermediate ring is moved intermittently in a selected direction about the rotation axis so that the balls recirculate about the axis and redistribute lubricant along the tracks.

Abstract: An energy-efficient method and system for processing target material such as microstructures in a microscopic region without causing undesirable changes in electrical and/or physical characteristics of material surrounding the target material is provided. The system includes a controller for generating a processing control signal and a signal generator for generating a modulated drive waveform based on the processing control signal. The waveform has a sub-nanosecond rise time. The system also includes a gain-switched, pulsed semiconductor seed laser for generating a laser pulse train at a repetition rate. The drive waveform pumps the laser so that each pulse of the pulse train has a predetermined shape. Further, the system includes a laser amplifier for optically amplifying the pulse train to obtain an amplified pulse train without significantly changing the predetermined shape of the pulses.

Abstract: A stator is adjustably attached to the frame of a crossed-flexure pivot galvanometer. The stator acts on a permanent-magnetic rotor, having radially facing poles, causing the rotor to torsionally oscillate, which causes the rotor to be displaced from an axis of rotation along a line of displacement. The resonant frequency of the galvanometer is controlled by adjusting the centering of the stator along a line between the radially facing poles of the permanent-magnetic rotor. With this adjustment, as the stator is brought closer to the magnet along the line between the radially facing poles, the frequency-lowering effect is maximized. As the stator is move away from the magnet along the line of displacement, the frequency-lowering effect is minimized.

Abstract: A hog feeder with an adjustable gate mechanism is disclosed which comprises a feed hopper for receiving and storing a supply of flowable, dry hog feed to be gravity dispensed from discharge openings in the lower longitudinal portions of the hopper, for consumption by hogs over a length of time. The flow of hog feed from the discharge openings is controlled by a pair of slideable gates, each having a cam actuated adjustment mechanism. The adjustment mechanism includes a number of receiving notches on each side of the hopper corresponding to a filly open gate setting, a fully closed gate setting, and a plurality of intermediate gate settings. Positioning a selection lever within a desired notch shifts the corresponding slideable gate to the selected position by way of a sliding cam arrangement. The sliding cam arrangement transfers lateral motion of the selection lever into vertical motion of the slideable gate, allowing for opening and closing of the discharge openings.

Abstract: A rotary bearing includes concentric radially spaced-apart inner, intermediate and outer rings whose opposing surfaces define inner and outer ball tracks. An inner array of balls roll along the inner track and an outer array of balls roll along the outer track and a viscous lubricant is present between the rings. When the inner and outer rings are angularly reciprocated relative to one another, the intermediate ring is moved intermittently in a selected direction about the rotation axis so that the balls recirculate about the axis and redistribute lubricant along the tracks. In a preferred embodiment, the relative angular excursion of the inner and outer rings is increased periodically beyond a selected maximum angle to effect the advancement of the intermediate ring using the lubricant as a ratcheting mechanism.

Abstract: A system including confocal and triangulation-based scanners or subsystems provides data which is both acquired and processed under the control of a control algorithm to obtain information such as dimensional information about microscopic targets which may be "non-cooperative." The "non-cooperative" targets are illuminated with a scanning beam of electromagnetic radiation such as laser light incident from a first direction. A confocal detector of the electromagnetic radiation is placed at a first location for receiving reflected radiation which is substantially optically collinear with the incident beam of electromagnetic radiation. The system includes a spatial filter for attenuating background energy. The triangulation-based subsystem also includes a detector of electromagnetic radiation which is placed at a second location which is non-collinear with respect to the incident beam. This detector has a position sensitive axis. Digital data is derived from signals produced by the detectors.