Abstract: A device is disclosed for stripping insulation from the end of an insulated wire. Four identical insulation blades are provided. One pair of blades is mounted on one pivotable arm while a second pair of blades is mounted on a second pivotable arm. The blades on each arm are inverted relative to each other so that the beveled surfaces of the blades which form the cutting edges face in opposite directions, and the beveled surfaces of the blades of the respective pairs which face in the same direction are opposite to each other. This arrangement provides a balanced pattern of the cutting edges and therefore uniform cutting action on the insulation so that when the insulation is removed from the end of the wire, wire skiving is avoided.

Abstract: A feed for ticket printers including a magazine having a frame, driven rollers to deliver the bottom one of a stack of tickets to a selection station, the selection station effectively permitting the withdrawal of the bottom ticket while restraining the remaining tickets, and a pair of compression rollers to pull the bottom ticket further through the selection station.

Abstract: A combined EMI/RFI shield and environmental sealing element for an electrical connector in which a helical coil spring is partially embedded in an elastomeric ring having an enlarged sealing portion on at least one side of the spring. The exposed surfaces of the coil spring engage facing peripheral surfaces on the shells of the mating connector halves of the electrical connector.

Abstract: A line switch for a digital telephone switching system utilizes distributed processing. The line switch comprises one or more switch modules. Each switch module is coupled to a central office switching system via one or more PCM lines which utilize common channel signaling. Each switch module comprises groups of line circuits, each line circuit being coupled to a subscriber line. Three separate distributed processor functions are provided in each line switch module. A first processor is utilized to communicate with the central office switching system is provided to control clock generation and rate conversion circuits. Each group of line circuits includes a third processor to control the operations of the line circuits and to gather information from the line circuit.A test bus is routed to the line circuits. The third processor may be utilized to automatically measure and adjust various transmission parameters.

Abstract: A digital to analog converter is employed in the digital line circuit of a telephone system and operates to convert a digital signal indicative of an analog speech signal back into a replica of the analog signal. The converter operates with an interpolated input digital signal to detect by means of a sign bit, the characteristic of an input digital word as being indicative of a positive or negative level. An error correcting signal is provided by the converter which is added to the next digital word to provide a compensated word having a sign bit determined by the remainder and the sign bit of the previous digital word. This word is then processed in sequence to produce an output pulse stream from the sign detector indicative of successive positive or negative values as defined by the input digital words, each of which are modified according to the error correcting signal.

Abstract: A circuit for adapting a telephone subscriber line to operate as a multiparty line is described wherein a plurality of conventional single line subscriber subsets are provided telephone service on the subscriber line such that each subscriber has privacy at all stages of call progress. In accordance with another feature of the present invention, frequency selective ringing is not required to prevent ringing from occuring at other subscriber subsets on the multiparty line when a party is called. The circuit of the present invention controls the switching of battery polarity at the central office to connect and disconnect subscribers from the line. The invention further provides automatic telephone number identification when calls are initiated by varying a unique identity tone for billing purposes. The invention also uniquely provides for user transparent reverting calling such that no special dialing procedure is required to make reverting calls and complete privacy is maintained, even on reverting calls.

Abstract: The zoom focus and deflection assembly for an image-to-electron beam converting electron discharge device comprises a magnetic deflection yoke and a magnetic electron beam focusing coil having N sections each having its own adjustable current source such that at least the opposite end ones of the N sections have the magnitude of current therethrough changed simultaneously in the opposite direction, where N is an integer greater than one.

Abstract: A flapper-poppet (new) that differs from a flapper-nozzle (old) in that the flapper-nozzle is a second stage operator that employs an amplifier which operates on de-amplified pressure. Although both the flapper-poppet and the flapper-nozzle are controlled by a conventional torque motor, the flapper-poppet is a first stage operator which operates on high supply pressure.

Abstract: An analyzer for natural gas to determine the existence of and concentration of wanted and unwanted sulfur compounds and odorizing agents.

Abstract: A line switch for a digital telephone switching system utilizes distributed processing. The line switch comprises one or more switch modules. Each switch module is coupled to a central office switching system via one or more PCM lines which utilize common channel signaling. Each switch module comprises groups of line circuits, each line circuit being coupled to a subscriber line. Three separate distributed processor functions are provided in each line switch module. A first processor is utilized to communicate with the central office switching system and to coordinate the operations within the line switch module. A second processor is provided to control clock generation and rate conversion circuits. Each group of line circuits includes a third processor to control the operations of the line circuits and to gather information from the line circuit. A busing arrangement is provided within the line switch such that both control information and PCM voice data are routed throughout the line switch.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for providing metal material having an improved structure for forming into a desired article is disclosed herein. The improved structure is obtained by slurry casting a material into a continuous member and then hot working the slurry cast material. Upon reheating to a semi-solid state, the hot worked, slurry cast material will exhibit finer particles and fewer eutectic melting rosettes than would be exhibited by the slurry as-cast material in an unworked and heated condition. The hot working of the slurry cast material produces an article having a deformed structure exhibiting directionality.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a very small-size gate on a semiconductor substrate includes covering the substrate with a photoresist layer, masking an area of the photoresist layer that has a size exceeding the desired size of the gate, subjecting the photoresist layer to overexposure so that the size of the unaffected area is reduced to the desired size, removing the overexposed region of the photoresist layer, providing a protective coating on such region, clearing the unaffected photoresist material out of the area occupied thereby, and depositing gate material at least in the thus obtained recess. The gate material may be deposited over the protective coating, in which case the zone at which the gate is to remain is protected by unexposed photoresist material and the remainder of the gate material is removed from the protective coating.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for controlling the position of a cast ingot is provided so that unwanted distortions of the casting are substantially avoided. The instant process and apparatus also permit substantially uniform heat transfer about the casting periphery. A control system for maintaining the casting within a mold so that the casting outer periphery is substantially uniformly spaced from the mold inner wall comprises a casting supporting mechanism adjacent the mold exit and non-thermal position detectors.

Abstract: The microwave resonator includes an enclosed resonator housing and a hollow central conductor having one end fastened to a bottom of the resonator housing and extending toward a top wall of the resonator housing. The other end of the central conductors is spaced from the top wall and includes an adjustable bellows assembly disposed coaxial of a longitudinal axis of the central conductor. A non-rotating, axially movable drive shaft is disposed coaxial of the axis of the central conductor within the central conductor. One end of the drive shaft is fastened to the bellows assembly and the other end of the drive shaft is coupled to a drive means disposed in the bottom wall to cause axial movement of the drive shaft to adjust the axial length of the bellows assembly and, hence, the axial length of the central conductor to adjust the resonant frequency of the microwave resonator.

Abstract: A shell-less connector member having an optional grounding shell bracket mounted on the forward mating portion of the connector member. The connector member may be intermated with a standard metal shell connector member or, when the grounding bracket is removed, with the mating shell-less connector member.

Abstract: In order to determine the vortex shedding frequency, from which the fluid flow rate may be calculated, an optical beam, such as produced by a laser, is passed through a fluid, transversely to a vortex street therein, and modulated in dependence on the alternate high and low velocity regions comprising the vortex street. The modulated signal is detected and "cleaned" of noise by filtering with a first (high) band-pass filter of a center frequency f.sub.c, such that the first filter output comprises an amplitude modulated signal of carrier frequency f.sub.c modulated by the vortex shedding frequency, that is the frequency of oscillation of the power spectra between the respective curves for the high and low velocity regions. The first filter output is demodulated and filtered by a second (low) band-pass filter, whose output is of a frequency comprising the vortex shedding frequency.

Abstract: A line switch for a digital telephone switching system utilizes distributed processing. The line switch comprises one or more switch modules. Each switch module is coupled to a central office switching system via one or more PCM lines which utilize common channel signaling. Each switch module comprises groups of line circuits, each line circuit being coupled to a subscriber line. Three separate distributed processor functions are provided in each line switch module. First one processor is utilized to communicate with the central office switching system and to coordinate the operations within the line switch module. A second processor is provided to control clock generation and rate conversion circuits. Each group of line circuits includes a third processor to control the operations of the line circuits and to gather information from the line circuit.The second processor is used to select which of a plurality of sources may be used to provide clock signals within the line switch module.

Abstract: An optical fiber which has just been drawn from an optical preform is provided with an external hermetic coating by using a heterogeneous nucleation thermochemical deposition technique. This technique involves passing the fiber through a reaction zone which contains a gaseous medium that includes a reactant which decomposes, or a mixture of reactants which chemically react, at a predetermined temperature to form the material of the coating. Only the fiber but not the gaseous medium surrounding the same is heated to the predetermined temperature, especially by directing radiation onto the exposed circumferential surface of the fiber, so that the decomposition or the chemical reaction takes place directly on the exposed surface of the fiber rather than in the gaseous medium, accompanied by simultaneous deposition of the coating material on the exposed surface of the fiber. The resulting fiber with hermetic coating can then be provided with an additional polymer coating layer.

Abstract: A fiber optic contact retention assembly in which a fiber optic contact has an annular groove formed in its body providing front and rear shoulders. An O-ring is positioned in the groove adjacent to the rear shoulder. The contact is radially slidably mounted into a slot in a supporting yoke. One shoulder of the contact engages the front of the yoke and the O-ring is compressed between the rear of the yoke and the rear shoulder of the contact so that the contact is firmly retained in a vertical position relative to the front face of the yoke for facilitating insertion of the contact into a guide member.

Abstract: A releasable locking mechanism is provided for an electrical connector in which a plug connector member embodies a sleeve that carries a locking ring. The ring is adapted to engage with a groove in the mating receptacle connector member. A plurality of lock pins are slidably movable over the ring to retain it in its locked position in the groove. In a preferred embodiment, the lock pins embody heads which extend through slots in the sleeve surrounding the pins. The lock pins are actuated by a coupling ring surrounding the rear portion of the sleeve.