Abstract: A collapsible reel (9) includes a resilient band (10) in the form of a discontinuous annulus and having end separated portions (14, 15). Those portions are coupled through a link (21) which is pivotable at two pivotal connections (24, 25), disposed at opposite ends of the link and fixedly coupled respectively to those portions, such that the link is movable between two positions at which the effective circumference of the reel has, respectively, been expanded and contracted. Detent means (40, 41) is used to hold the link releasably in the position at which the reel is expanded. The reel may be collapsed by inward pulling of a handle (50).

Abstract: A ladder foot (20) comprises (a) a bracket means (25) attachable at its upper end to a ladder rail (11) and including a stud (35) extending downward from such end, (b) a shoe (60) including a central sole plate (61) and a pair of upper plates (62, 63) extending from the sole plate to straddle opposite sides of the bracket means, and (c) a pin (75) fixedly secured with the upper plates and passing from one to the other through the bracket means adjacent the front side of the stud. The downward extent of the stud includes an upper range within which the stud fits between the pin and sole plate in such manner that the shoe is locked in toe-down position. Such extent also includes a lower range for which, if the pin is moved to register therein, the shoe is angularly adjustable from its toe-down position through a range of angular positions including a flat position.

Abstract: A feeder guide (10) comprises a pair of tube segments (11a, 11b) corresponding to the halves of a tube produced by its vertical bi-section through its axis. The segments are coupled through a hinge means (50) to be relatively movable between positions at which they are, respectively, spread apart and closed together to jointly form a tube assemblage having a central bore (13) with a front bellmouth (19), inward thereof, a throat (18) at which the bore has its minimum transverse dimension, and, rearward of the latter, a taper (25) divergent towards the rear of the bore and of greater transverse dimension throughout than such minimum dimension. The two segments are longitudinally stiffened by two pairs of web flanges (30a, 31a and 30b, 31b) respectively integral therewith and are releasably holdable in said closed position by fastening means (60).

Abstract: The invention relates to an improvement in an electrical telecommunications adapter (20) for coupling the terminating plug of a telephone set to appropriate wires of a 25-pair telephone distribution cable, the adapter comprising a 50-pin connector (21) of which the pins are adapted to be coupled to fixed contacts in turn coupled to such wires, a hood (22) for the connector and a jack (23) disposed in said hood and adapted to receive such plug. The improvement involves a structure for coupling the jack and hood, the structure comprising vertical slots (55) formed in the sidewalls (37) of the hood and corresponding vertical ribs (60) formed on the transversely opposite sides of the jack, such ribs being adapted by resilient spreading and subsequent restoration of sidewalls (37), to enter into such slots and provide a snap-fit between the jack and hood.

Abstract: A walking beam (20) is supported on and fixedly coupled to a pair of vertical rods (39) slidably received in bushings (41) mounted on a horizontally-movable carriage (40) held stationary in the absence of overriding force by a friction brake (60) coupled through a lost motion coupling (46, 48, 66) with a drive member 32 moved by an actuator 31 to undergo in alternation forward and reverse strokes. The rods (39) are pivotally coupled to the drive member (32) by inclined links (36). The arrangement is adapted to convert each forward and subsequent reverse stroke of the drive member into an up-forward-down-return rectangular movement of the beam (20).

Abstract: A conveyor system includes a number of closely spaced pallets (14) having nested pairs of ears (47,48 and 56,57) mounted on chain pins (33). First rollers (37) are mounted on pins (33) to ride between guide walls (38 and 39) and are engaged by a drive sprocket (12) to move the pallets through a number of work stations (16 to 19). Additional horizontal rollers (63, 71 and 72) are rotatably mounted on the pallets (14) to ride on one of the guide walls (30) and a third guide wall (74). A crowder pin device (81,82) is operated to engage a pallet at a work station to thrust the pallet rollers (37) against the wall (38) to fixedly position the pallet at the work station. Further precise positioning is attained by moving a tapered shot pin (84) into a hole (87) formed in the positioned pallet.

Abstract: A method for preventing solder sticking on printed circuit substrates comprises mechanically roughening the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A retractile telephone cord of this invention has a retractility which decreases substantially linearly from each end to a center of its length and an extensibility which increases substantially linearly from each end to a center of its length. The cordage includes a plurality of conductors which are individually insulated with a first plastic material and which are disposed in a planar array, and a jacket of a second plastic material which encloses the array. The jacket is formed about the array to provide a cross-section transversely of the cordage which includes at least one side that is parallel to the array. In making the retractile cord, a length of the cordage is wound helically about a mandrel with the one side of the cross-section of the cord being in engagement with the mandrel.

Abstract: A telephone station adapter includes a well-known ribbon-type connector having a modular jack at one end and supported from a hood which covers the connector and the jack. Because of testing procedures and because of the need to rearrange connections of conductors to contact elements of the ribbon-type connector, it becomes necessary to remove the hood without damaging it. This is accomplished with the tool of this invention in which the connector is supported in such a way that relative motion may be caused between it and a hood-removal portion of the tool. The hood-removal portion of the tool includes a portion which cams apart end sidewalls of the hood to disengage detents thereof from a body of the connector. The tool also includes a separating portion which causes the hood to be moved away from the connector once it has been disengaged and a prong which is moved into a cavity of the jack to hold the connector in engagement with a supporting surface while the hood is being removed.

Abstract: Polymeric coatings can be applied to substrates such as metal foils by first coating the foil with a wetting hydrosol followed by applying a coupling agent thereto and thereafter coating the substrate with the desired polymer.

Abstract: A thermally conductive composition comprises an essentially homogeneous mixture of sand or sand-like particulate material with a binder, wherein the binder comprises an organic adhesive having an inorganic fine particle filler therein. The binder is present in at least an amount sufficient to begin to form a binder meniscus between adjacent sand particles, while the filler is present in the binder in an amount which significantly increases the effective thermal conductivity of the composition as compared to the same composition without filler.

Abstract: A method of inhibiting solder sticking between circuit elements of a partially uncured rubber-modified epoxy printed circuit board comprises exposing the board containing the circuit pattern thereon to UV radiation prior to the application of solder thereto.

Abstract: A dialing circuit (10) for an electronic telephone set including a microcomputer (40) having an RAM with two or more memory sections (I and II), each capable of storing data signals representing a telephone number. As the numbers are dialed by operation of a conventional pushbutton dial pad (70), the last number dialed (LND) is stored in RAM section I for automatic redial on operation of a redial key included in the dial pad ("LND," FIGS. 1-2; "LND-II" FIG. 3). A mechanism is provided for shifting a first LND from RAM section I to RAM section II, either selectively by operating a Save button (S) in FIGS. 1-2 or automatically on dialing a second number in FIG. 3. An additional key ("S/R," FIGS. 1-2 or "LND-I," FIG. 3) is provided for automatically redialing the first LND from RAM section II. The dialing circuits also include single button (F, P) dialing of a few emergency numbers ("Fire," "Police," "911," etc.).

Abstract: A two-piece strain relief member (15), and a flat cable-strain relief member-connector assembly (10) are disclosed, wherein the member (15) is comprised of two complementary sections (15a, 15b) molded out of plastic material. Each member section is formed with first and second elongated planar wall portions (31a, b or 32a, b), with the second wall portion being oriented at an angle relative to the associated first wall portion, and terminating in a laterally disposed, cable-contacting rearward edge portion (31c or 32c). Each member section is also formed with an outwardly extending integral pin (36 or 37) and an outwardly tapered locking detent (41 or 42) respectively located near, and as a portion of, one end wall (31d or 32d), and with a pin-receiving bore (57 or 58) and a U-shaped locking latch (62 or 63) respectively located near, and as a portion of, the opposite end wall (47a or 48 a).

Abstract: Two elongated gripping members (12,12) cooperate to form a closed pressure chamber about a waxed billet (61). The gripping members are reciprocated relative to an extrusion station (13), such reciprocation first moving the pressure chamber toward and past the extrusion station so as to extrude the billet through a die (66) at the extrusion station, and then returning the gripping members, in separated condition, to their initial positions to permit the immediate loading of another billet between the gripping members. Also disclosed are various additional systems, e.g.

Abstract: A taping apparatus (10) is disclosed for applying a spaced array of transversely oriented material strips, such as in the form of plastic tapes (36), on each side of indexably advanced strip stock, such as in the form of a thin plastic film (12), during each dwell period of the latter, with corresponding tapes on opposite sides of the film being precisely aligned in pairs. The apparatus includes a film advancing assembly (13, 14, 16, 22, 24, 32), two mutually disposed tape applicator mechanisms (28, 29), a specially constructed platen assembly (26), mounted on a longitudinally disposed U-shaped support bed (27), and a control circuit (33). In order to provide the necessary solid backing for each of the tape applicator mechanisms (28, 29) when sequentially actuated, the platen assembly (26) includes a platen (90) formed with two longitudinally offset segments (91, 92) positioned at different elevations so as to define a film-receiving passageway (94) therebetween.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a printed circuit board is disclosed. The method comprises forming a metal substrate having a through-hole pattern. The metal substrate is coated with a dielectric powder having a suitable flow length value to form a dielectric coat on the substrate having a sufficient through-hole edge coverage. The dielectric coated substrate is then treated with a second powder to form a satisfactory topcoat thereon. Electrical circuitry is then formed on the topcoat in conjunction with the through hole pattern.