Abstract: A method for removing and transporting ophthalmic lens fabricating mold sections from a molding device to an inert chamber in a predetermined time, controlled by a central processor, is disclosed. The method includes starting a timer upon opening the molding device and exposing the mold sections; actuating a robotic arm to transport the mold sections from the molding device to an intermediate position using a compound movement; actuating a cam-controlled arm to transport the mold sections from the intermediate position to a pallet held on a conveyor belt at a cam-arm pre-part release location; and releasing the pallet to move on the conveyor belt to the inert chamber for continued transport of mold containing pallets to a treatment or processing facility for producing and/or packaging of the contact lenses.

Abstract: There is disclosed a clip-on bracket assembly for detachably coupling to a first fixture comprising a first bracket member having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface including a first planar surface portion and a second arcuate portion. A second bracket member substantially parallel to the first bracket member has an inner surface and an outer surface. The second member inner surface includes a first planar portion and a second arcuate portion wherein the first planar portions of the first and second members are fixedly coupled by means of an at least one spring washer. The second arcuate portions of the respective members are in parallel arrangement defining a gap therebetween for receiving and securing the fixture, where the first arcuate portion is springably movable with respect to the second arcuate portion to accommodate fixtures of varying widths.

Abstract: A stabilizing system stabilizes light-weight articles carried on conveyors for automated bulk processing equipment. In a preferred embodiment, the light-weight articles, such as, for example, tobacco leaf products or wood chips, are moved and stabilized along a conveyor from a first infeed end to a second discharge end where they are projected in-air along a trajectory through an illumination station and sorting station. An enclosed off-belt housing is provided within which the light-weight articles are projected along a controlled trajectory to be processed by the optical inspection and sorting systems.

Abstract: A motor vehicle headlight has a reflector receiving a lamp, and a cover lens in front of the reflector. A glass styling embellisher is fitted in front of the lamp, and is secured by a one piece fastening member which is essentially in two parts, which are brought together by bending so as to put the fastening member in a closed condition in which a flange of the embellisher is trapped between retaining elements of the fastening member. The two parts of the latter have retaining lugs for retaining the fastening member, carrying the embellisher, in position in a lamp aperture of the reflector.

Abstract: A range finder for a cap for determining the distance to a golf flag. The range finder has a cap coupling portion having a thin shell portion adapted to conform with the cap and a pair of "u" shaped portions for hooking around an edge of the cap. A base is carried by the cap coupling portion. A first support is pivotally mounted to the base at a first pivot point. A lens is carried by the first support. A second support is pivotally mounted to the base at a second pivot point. An index for viewing through the lens is pivotally carried by the second support. The range finder has a linkage bar pivotally mounted at a third pivot point to the first support and pivotally mounted at a four pivot point to the second support. Moving the lens from a retracted position to a flipped down, in use position moves the index in unison.

Abstract: A lateral-emitter field emission device has a gate that is separated by an insulating layer from a vacuum- or gas-filled environment containing other elements of the device. For example, the gate may be disposed external to the microchamber. The insulating layer is disposed such that there is no vacuum- or gas-filled path to the gate for electrons that are emitted from a lateral emitter. The insulating layer disposed between the emitter and the gate preferably comprises a material having a dielectric constant greater than one. The insulating layer also preferably has a low secondary electron yield over the device's operative range of electron energies. For display applications, the insulating layer is preferably transparent. Emitted electrons are confined to the microchamber containing their emitter. Thus, the gate current component of the emitter current consists of displacement current only.

Abstract: An eyeglass case includes a substantially rigid internal shell member surrounded by a flexible covering material provided with a closure flap selectively securable in a closed position for retaining eyeglasses in protective storage within the inner shell member. The shell member includes an inverted V-shaped support member extending upwardly from a floor of the shell member which engages a nose recess of a pair of eyeglasses stored within the case. The shell member includes one or more internal receptacles for storage of miscellaneous accessory items such as nose pads, spare screws, a small screwdriver, lens cleaning solution, a lens wiping cloth, contact lenses, contact lens solutions, medications, etc.

Abstract: A self-gettering electron field emitter has a first portion formed of a low-work-function material for emitting electrons, and it has an integral second portion that acts both as a low-resistance electrical conductor and as a gettering surface. The self-gettering emitter is formed by disposing a thin film of the low-work-function material parallel to a substrate and by disposing a thin film of the low-resistance gettering material parallel to the substrate and in contact with the thin film of the low-work-function material. The self-gettering emitter is particularly suitable for use in lateral field emission devices. The preferred emitter structure has a tapered edge, with a salient portion of the low-work-function material extending a small distance beyond an edge of the gettering and low resistance material. A fabrication process specially adapted for in situ formation of the self-gettering electron field emitters while fabricating microelectronic field emission devices is also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical cross-connect network provides wavelength routing of optical channels between two arrays of optical fibers carrying WDM signals using interconnected arrays of optical wavelength switches based on combinations of a 1.times.2 wavelength switch architecture. The cross-connect network can be made by interconnecting two arrays of 1.times.4 wavelength switches, each of which is made by combining three 1.times.2 wavelength switches. Each 1.times.2 optical wavelength switch includes a polarization separation element that decomposes and spatially separates the input signal into two orthogonally-polarized beams, and a wavelength filter that decomposes into the beam pair into two pairs of orthogonally-polarized beams that carry a first spectral band at a first polarization and a second spectral band at an orthogonal polarization. A polarization-dependent routing element spatially separates these four beams into four orthogonally-polarized components.

Abstract: A miniature display system uses a reflective micro-display that reflects light perpendicular to the surface of the display to generate an image. Light from an off-axis light source is polarized and reflected by a prism to provide on-axis illumination light for the display. The prism uses total internal reflection and/or a polarizer as a beam splitting surface so as to increase the brightness of the image generated by the display. The optical system provides a virtual image with a large field of view so that the small display system can be used in portable, hand-held or head mounted systems to display a large amount of information to the user.

Abstract: A method of testing high speed interconnectivity of circuit boards having components operable at a high speed system clock, employing an IEEE 1149.1 standard test method in which test data is shifted into and from the components at the rate of a test clock during Shift.sub.-- In and Shift.sub.-- Out operations, and having an Update operation and a Capture operation between the Shift.sub.-- In and Shift.sub.-- Out operations, the components including a first group of components capable of performing the Update and Capture operations at the rate of the Test Clock only and a second group of components capable of performing the Update and Capture operations at the rate of the system clock, the method comprising the steps of performing the Shift.sub.

Abstract: A soft contact lens comprising a silicone-hydrogel made by curing a reaction mixture comprising a silicone-containing monomer.

Abstract: The illuminating sleeve has at least one fastening tongue which is extended towards its front collar portion, so as to pass through the aperture in the fixed wall to which the illuminating sleeve is fastened.

Abstract: A towable recreational vehicle includes main living quarters having solid side and end walls with panels pivotably mounted on each of the end walls supported by removable light weight support rods engaging sockets on the end walls and on the vehicle frame. A flexible fabric enclosure is supported on a frame carried by the panels which includes a removable component which may be snapped out of a socket in the main living quarters and stored when the panels are folded to the closed position. A mattress includes portions supported on the panel and on a shelf within the unit, the portion on the shelf being flipped over to rest on the panel and secured in place before the panel is closed against the unit. Accordingly, auxiliary living space is provided by unfolding the panels from the main living quarters, but the panels may be easily closed when the unit is moved.

Abstract: A system for inspecting ophthalmic lenses and including transport, illumination, imaging and image processing subsystems. The transport system moves a multitude of ophthalmic lenses along a predetermined path to move each of those lenses, one at a time, into a lens inspection position, and the illumination subsystem generates a series of light pulses and directs a respective one light pulse through each ophthalmic lens. The imaging subsystem generates a set of signals representing selected portions of the light pulses transmitted through the ophthalmic lenses, and the image processing subsystem receives those signals from the imaging subsystem and processes those signals according to a predetermined program to identify at least one condition of each of the lenses.

Abstract: A detection device for detecting ocular disease and abnormalities in human yes. The ocular disease and abnormality detection device includes a photo-imaging device having a lens aligned on a selected optical axis. A flash unit generates a flash beam of light generally along the optical axis to produce retinal reflections from a patient's eyes. The retinal reflections from the patient's eyes are recorded by the photo-imaging device and displayed on a video display screen. A beamsplitter is positioned on the optical axis to pass the flash beam of light from the flash device to the patient's eyes, and to pass the retinal reflection from the patient's eyes to the photo-imaging device. A visual image is projected on a surface of the beamsplitter which appears to the patient's eyes as being positioned on the optical axis and generally superimposed on the lens of the photo-imaging device. The patient's eyes generally focus on the lens of the photo-imaging device as the patient views the projected image.

Abstract: A method of producing a compensated contact lens that is compensated for power deviation from target due to differential shrinkage, and also a compensated contact lens. The invention includes the steps of designing a lens to have first and second areas of different thickness and a cylinder axis having a predetermined angular position; determining a plurality of power correction factors, one for each of a plurality of cylinder axis ranges of the lens; and modifying the lens using a selected one of the plurality of power correction factors corresponding to the cylinder axis ranges of the lens containing the cylinder axis of the lens.

Abstract: A coverslip pick-up and transfer head comprises a pair of spaced suction cups which are angled downwardly and outwardly. A spring loaded plunger in an extended condition extends below the suction cups such that when a coverslip is help by the suction cups it is flexed in a concave shape. A solenoid, when energized, retracts the plunger against the spring force. In use a coverslip magazine containing a stack of coverslips is raised under the head causing the plunger to retract until the suction cups contact the coverslips. Vacuum is applied to the suction cups and the magazine lowered whereby the coverslip is held by the suction cups and flexed into a concave shape. The solenoid is energized momentarily causing the plunger the retract and extend thereby delivering a gentle flexural pulse to the coverslip causing any further coverslip adhered to the underside of the top coverslip to be released and returned to the magazine.

Abstract: A lens aperture of an autostereoscopic camera is moved in a parallax scanning pattern through a plurality of disparity positions offset from the optical axis of the camera lens. Images of a scene being photographed, as viewed through the lens aperture in its various disparity positions, are recorded for subsequent display, which produces a three dimensional illusion when viewed on a conventional display with the unaided eye. The size of the lens aperture and the parallax scanning pattern are adjustable to suit conditions. The lens aperture may be defined by a through-hole in an opaque card, a plurality of interleaved leaf elements, or a planar array of cells switched between transparent and opaque states. In addition to stereoscopic imaging, the moving lens aperture principle of the present invention may be utilized in range-finding and camera image stabilization applications.

Abstract: A base member for a blister package for the containment of a contact lens includes a planar flange extending outwardly about a cavity for housing the contact lens. Proximate the peripheral edge of the flange, there is formed a continuous groove into which there is pressed the material of a flexible cover sheet of the blister package so as to clampingly engage the base member.