Abstract: A pre-load indicating washer in which a plurality of protuberances, struck and partially sheared from the annular body of the washer, are pushed under load back into a corresponding plurality of indentations in the annular body which are formed when the protuberances are formed. The mass of material defined by each protuberance/indentation pair is concentrated along the lengthwise central region of the protuberance/indentation pair, thereby stiffening the protuberance, so that when load is applied to the washer, the protuberance will first undergo elastic deformation prior to collapsing back into the indentation from which it was formed.

Abstract: A store ejector includes at least one fluid pressure operated ram (4). In use the ram (4) engages and ejects a store (5). The ejector includes a source of fluid under pressure and a throttle valve connected between the source of fluid under pressure and the ram (4). A pressure sensor detects the pressure supplied to the ram and an extension sensor monitors the extension of the ram. A computer receives inputs from the pressure and extension sensors and provides a control output to the throttle valve to control the valve to provide a predetermined applied thrust profile to the store.

Abstract: A safe locking mechanism has an engagement element movable from a disengaged position to an engageable position in response to a small amount of electrical power. When in its engageable position a manually operated element moves the engagement element to unlock a lock-bolt. In one embodiment, the engagement element is connected to the rotor of a low power, low-friction electric motor having magnetic detents corresponding to the disengaged and engageable positions. Electrical power is generated solely while the user manually inputs a combination code, and a microprocessor controls storage and delivery of this power to put the engagement element into its engageable position. Once the desired engagement is obtained, the lock-bolt is moved from its locking to its unlocking position manually. Subsequent unlocking requires another entry of the code input.

Abstract: A block shipping pallet is constructed of multiple laminations of corrugated sheet material, with specific construction details providing advantages in strength and trueness of the completed pallet, and further advantages in the reduction of tooling and labor costs. The pallet comprises top and bottom sheets with a series of blocks formed of multiple laminations of corrugated sheet material sandwiched between. The top and bottom sheets, and particularly the intermediate blocks, may be sawn from stacks of plural laminations, thus precluding any requirement for costly dies and intensive labor. Asymmetrical corrugated sheets may be used with one side having a different weight than the other. By laminating two such sheets together with like weighted sides in contact, the tendency of such sheets to curve or warp due to the difference in side thickness is substantially eliminated.

Abstract: A test and diagnostic tool for stored program controlled telecommunications switching systems captures the occurrence and timing of "events" arising from subscriber actions and from actions which occur within blocks of software in the telecommunication switching system. Data related to the captured events as well as an indication of their location are stored in a large buffer memory. The stored data is then used to analyze the events for the diagnosis and correction of the cause of the fault as well as to recreate the same sequence and timing of events at a later period in order to test the corrections which have been made to ensure that they eliminate the cause of the fault condition.

Abstract: A layout is provided for RF power transistors that reduces common lead inductance and its associated performance penalties. An RF transistor cell is rotated 90.degree. with respect to a conventional RF transistor cell so as to located bond pads nearer the edge of a silicon die, reducing bond wire length and common lead inductance and thereby improving performance at high frequencies. The placement of bond pad and distribution of different parts of the transistor layout further reduces common lead inductance.

Abstract: A display device of the type having a plurality of parallel prisms that rotate intermittently and synchronously to present the surfaces of the different panels of each prism for view to provide different composite advertising designs. All the prisms are identical and each is formed with three identical panels that are rectangular and extend longitudinally of the prism. The panels have hinge sections formed integrally along their edges for meshing with hinge sections of adjacent panels in a piano-hinge-like arrangement. A removable hinge pin is disposed in at least one hinge connection so that upon removal of the hinge pin the adjacent panel can be swung open to allow access to the interior of the prism for changing a burned out illuminating device, such as a fluorescent or neon light.

Abstract: A centrifuge extractor designed for reclaiming industrial fluids from absorbent matts and pads is characterized by a fixed cylindrical housing and a rotating cylindrical screen concentrically arranged within the housing to define inner and outer housing chambers. With fluid laden matts and pads arranged in the inner chamber, the screen is rotated to separate the fluids from the matts and pads. The fluids pass through the screen and exit the outer chamber through an outlet at the bottom thereof. The fluids pass through coarse and fine particulate filters. Thus, the matts and pads are reusable and the fluids may be reused or recycled.

Abstract: A switch for the transfer of data packets comprises in the conventional way input ports and output ports and parallel switching planes, which are identical to each other. The switch establishes connections between input ports and output ports through the parallel switching planes. In each output port there is for each switching plane and each established connection a buffer accommodating at least one data packet. In the output port there is in addition a logical selection device for selecting data packets from the switch and from the different planes in such a way, that a data packet stream, which is as correct as possible, is obtained from the output port, and it selects in the first place data packets from a switching plane, which is the preferred plane at each instant. The selection device comprises a quality determining unit, which at each occasion determines the preferred plane by means of quality values for each plane.

Abstract: The method and system of this invention assist a user in the achievement of a task according to a set of procedures such as those used in the design of software products. A functional description of the process of designing the software is instantiated by the system whereupon the system provides the user with a series of choices relating to the software development. The choices selected, in turn, permit a variety of system tools, each operating in parallel and concurrently, to be used in the development of the software. The system automatically monitors and checks the process during any manipulation and provides error analysis as well as suggested courses of action to the user. The system provides flexible support without requiring the user to follow a rigid development pattern.

Abstract: A silver/palladium alloy for electronic applications comprises, on a percent by weight basis, 35-60 silver, 20-44 palladium, 5-20 copper, 1-7 nickel, 0.1-5 zinc, to 0.18 boron, up to 0.05 rhenium and up to 1 percent by weight of modifying elements selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, zirconium and platinum. This alloy exhibits high oxidation and tarnish resistance and is formed into wrought electronic components such as contacts and brushes to provide low noise.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for detecting a fault on a power line carrying a line parameter such as a load current. The apparatus monitors and analyzes the load current to obtain an energy value. The energy value is compared to a threshold value stored in a buffer. If the energy value is greater than the threshold value a counter is incremented. If the energy value is greater than a high value threshold or less than a low value threshold then a second counter is incremented. If the difference between two subsequent energy values is greater than a constant then a third counter is incremented. A fault signal is issued if the counter is greater than a counter limit value and either the second counter is greater than a second limit value or the third counter is greater than a third limit value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for operating a permanently excited single-phase alternating current machine, otherwise known as a transverse flux machine, which allows optimal exploitation of the machine and economical design of the converter. A terminal voltage is applied to the machine, the shape of which is defined by the characteristics of the machine. The waveform of the terminal voltage converts from a sinusoid to a square wave, with a maximum voltage equal to the maximum available voltage, at defined switch-over times. Based on the switch over times, the resulting terminal voltage wave can be square, completely sinusoidal, or a combination of both.

Abstract: A non-reusable, disposable syringe has a cylindrical barrel with a needle assembly on its forward end, and a needle trap for protecting the needle from contact. The needle trap includes a hollow plastic housing with a rearward end portion adapted to fit over the cylindrical barrel, and a generally cone-shaped forward end portion having a closed forward extremity. A locking member of generally hollow cylindrical shape is secured within the rearward end of the needle trap housing and has forwardly directed flexible, circumferentially spaced, inwardly tapering fingers that taper inwardly more rapidly than the forward end of the housing when the needle trap is placed over the barrel the fingers of the locking member flex outwardly to pass over the needle base and then flex inwardly to assume a locking position behind the needle base.

Abstract: Balloon assemblies and valves for balloons have improved inflation capabilities. The inlet ends of the balloon valves are disrupted either with a slit or a portion of material removal to prevent the inlet end from being folded back into the valve passageway during insertion of an inflation probe. With the inlet end slit, the slit portions are readily folded back by the inflation probe, thus preventing potential blockage of the valve inlet.

Abstract: In a fly reel, drag is provided by use a helically wound wire spring mounted coaxially over a fixed post attached to the reel frame. The turns at one end of the helically wound spring loosely contact the fixed post, while at the other end of the spring the turns are in intimate contact with the post. One end of the spring is free and the other end is fixed to a spool axially straddling the spring-post combination. The spool contains a drag adjustment knob whose initial setting determines the angular travel of the spool until a pin on the knob contacts the free end of the spring. As line is stripped from the spool, the spool rotates and the loose turns incrementally tighten about the fixed post.

Abstract: Transition metal complexes of Gable porphyrins having two porphyrin rings connected through a linking group, and having on the porphyrin rings electron-withdrawing groups, such as halogen, nitro or cyano. These complexes are useful as catalysts for the oxidation of organic compounds, e.g. alkanes.

Abstract: A radio control toy incorporating a module containing a compact television camera, radio frequency transmitter and radio control receiver is described. The camera incorporates a lens system designed to record point of view impressions from the toy and a microphone to provide impressions of the audio environment for transmission by the radio frequency transmitter to a remote television module. The television module incorporates means to receive the video and audio transmissions from the camera and reproduce them via a television system and audio speaker associated with the television module. A control module allows an operator, viewing the television screen and hearing the audio sounds reproduced, to operate a set of controls associated with a control module and control signals derived from the position of the controls are transmitted by a radio control transmitter in the television module to the radio control receiver in the camera module.

Abstract: The wire end or forming section of a paper making machine is a twin wire section defined by two endless loop wire belts or wires between which fibrous suspension moves through the wire end. A supporting element, either in the form of a rotating cylinder or in the form of a support belt, has the wires passing over it in the twin wire zone. Pressure elements, in the form of strips, rods or even a shoe, are supported to apply pressure on the wire belts and directed toward the moving supporting surface. The pressure elements are placed along the twin wire path so that pressure free regions remain between neighboring pressure elements. The pressure elements are distributed over the entire width of the wire belts.

Abstract: An assembly of reinforced hollow beams comprises a connection member and an assembly element (8) adapted to be inserted coaxially and then fixed within a stiffening core (2) of a first hollow beam (1) by a suitable immobilization member (10). A positioning member (5) is introduced through one of the surfaces of a second hollow beam (1) so as to open within the interior of the stiffening core (2) of the second hollow beam and to be immobilized within this core (2) by a suitable second immobilization member (6). The positioning member (5) is fixed to the assembly member (8) by a cross member (7) secured on the positioning member (5). The assembly is useful in providing supporting or self-supporting frameworks for added or integrated constructions.