Abstract: An edge connector (10) and method of assembly for making electrical contact with contact pad areas (11) along an edge of a circuit card (12), such as a thin film circuit or thick film circuit. The connector includes a spring clip (20) having a set of three spring fingers (21-22-23) projecting therefrom and offset to define a space (24) between the fingers into which the circuit card can be inserted (A) to pre-assemble the card with the clip. The central tine (22) is crimped about a solder preform (30) so as to deform the preform into an hourglass configuration in which the ends of the preform contact the surface of the card. The preform is then melted to form a solder joint (50) bonding the connector to the circuit card.

Abstract: A flat cable assembly embodiment (10) is disclosed, as are two terminated cable embodiments (12,12') and methods for terminating and connectorizing same, when the cable is of the type wherein two overlying/underlying arrays of laterally disposed conductors (13, 14, 13', 14') are respectively laminated between a common insulative center film (16, 16'), and an associated one of two opposite side outer insulative films (18, 19, 18', 19'), with a plurality of isolating strips (23, 24, 23', 24') interposed between, and adapted to adhere selectively to, the center film and an associated one of the two arrays of conductors. The isolating strips are positioned transversely across the center film in aligned pairs at each of a succession of predetermined terminating sites (e.g., at 5, 10 or 15 ft. intervals) along the cable, as fabricated.

Abstract: A piece part, such as a flat metal contact spring (12), is mounted between two plastic details (11 and 25), so that an end portion of the spring 12 projects from the mounting details. One of the details, such as a base member 11, has a cavity 17 within which the spring is placed so that a mounting section (12A) fits within the cavity. The second detail, such as a thermoplastic locking insert 25, includes a finger 25B adapted to fit in the cavity adjacent to the spring section (12A). The insert is provided with pointed energy directors (30 and 31) arranged so that the members can be heated and compressed together, and the directors melt to weld the parts together. The insert and/or the base member is formed with slots (33) so positioned that portions of the molten plastic are forced to flow into the slots during the process so as to encapsulate the mounting section of the spring or other piece part in the plastic.

Abstract: Several planar configured, metallized resistor embodiments (25, 35, 45, 55, 65) are disclosed, as are several methods of manufacturing and resistance trimming the same, particularly to values of resistance lower than the "as fabricated" nominal value thereof. In accordance with one preferred resistor embodiment (25), a plurality of associated discrete conductive bonding pads (29) are formed on a common supporting substrate (27), with each pad being in conductive contact with a different spaced site along the body portion (25a) of the resistor between the terminating ends thereof. The bonding pads (29) are advantageously adapted to allow bonded wire connections to be made between different selected pairs thereof, after fabrication of the resistor, whenever necessary to incrementally reduce the initial nominal value of resistance of the resistor to a lower desired value.

Abstract: A snap-in strain relief (10) is provided for insulated cable wires (23) spread across and solder connected to thin metallic terminals (22) formed on a printed circuit board (11). The strain relief is constructed in the shape of a bar (32) having a projecting cleat (36 or 58) at one end which fits into a slot (37) or hole (62) formed in an edge section of the circuit board, and a projecting post (44) with a headed lobe (46 or 57) at the other end which is force-fitted into a hole (43) formed in the circuit board. Standoffs (47 and 48) are formed on the underside of bar to insure that the bar does not crush the insulation of the wires while applying a force to hold the wires and force isolate the soldered connections against pulling forces imparted to the cable (24).

Abstract: A safety guard (10) and method of manually feeding a workpiece (11), such as a flat rectangular terminal board, to an assembly machine (13), such as a conventional eyeletting machine. The guard includes a hollow, generally hemispherical shield (20) having a slot (21) in a front face thereof, into which an end portion (A) of a workpiece may be inserted so that the working portion of the workpiece extends from the front of the shield toward the machine. The operator inserts his or her hand into a rear opening of the shield and securely grips the end portion of the workpiece between thumb and forefinger, so that the workpiece may freely be fed manually to the assembly machine, but the shield protects the operator's hand from injury by the machine details.

Abstract: A stable hoist for loading and unloading articles (10) onto and from shelves (11) includes a base housing (12) from which extends a cruciform-shaped standard (13). A slide arrangement (14) mounted on the standard and driven by a power source (46 and 47) mounted in the housing moves a boom (16) up and down. The boom comprises a slide (20) and a trolley (21) from which depends a clamp (22) to grip the article. Inverted L-shaped arm structures (28 and 29) extend from the crossarms (26 and 27) of the cruciform-shaped standard (13). Stabilizing plates (48 and 49) are pivotally mounted in arm sections (33 and 34) to engage the shelf during a loading or unloading operation. The weight of components mounted in the base housing (12) and on the cruciform-shaped standard (13) act to counterbalance the tilting force during a loading and unloading operation.

Abstract: A pair of very thin dielectric films, each completely metallized on one side, are positively advanced over a pair of drums of a machine while the films are laser scribed and slit to form two sets of film strips each of which has a laser scribed capacitor plate formed thereon. The film strips forcibly emanating from the drums pass through a number of tension responsive devices and are wound on one of a pair of successively positioned takeup split mandrels. A compensating mechanism is included in one of the drum drives to vary the speed of the drums to compensate for the difference in diameters of the wound convolutions of one set of film strips with respect to the other set so that a succession of capacitor blanks are snugly wound with consistent geometric size and capacitance value.

Abstract: A rolled metallized film capacitor is encased between a pair of box halves (13 and 13') each having a pair of dovetailed slots (36 and 37) formed in opposed walls so that when the box halves are assembled about a capacitor blank (10) the slots in the respective box halves are aligned with each other. The box halves are mounted in abutting relation about a pair of parallel wires (11 and 12), and then heat fusible metal (46 and 47) is deposited in the aligned slots to lock the box halves together while bonding the wires (11 and 12) to opposite ends of the capacitor blank (10). When assembled, the boxed capacitor with the laterally extending leads may be readily machine inserted or otherwise assembled in a circuit module, such as a printed circuit board.

Abstract: An articulated robot arm (10) comprises n arm sections (13, 16, 18, 21) pivotally mounted one to the other. A plurality of independently controlled servomotors (12, 14, 17, 19) at each of the arm joints moves the tip (22) of the arm towards the desired location. All arm angles are measured with respect to a common reference plane, e.g. the horizon.

Abstract: In the manufacture of cordage (25), at least two groups (28, 29) of individually insulated, flexible conductors (21--21) which comprise a planar array (40) are moved through a core tube (71) of an extruder (27) in adjacent paths. As the groups are moved out of an exit portion of the core tube where they are spaced apart a predetermined distance and along converging paths to a die, a first plastic material is flowed about the array to enclose it and to be formed into a jacket by the die. Portions of the first plastic material flow between the groups to achieve an equilibration of pressure in the plastic material about each group, which controls the direction and magnitude of lateral movement of each group within the plane of the array, and to form a web (41) which is integral with the jacket and which may vary in thickness along its length to compensate for changes in the outside diameter of the insulated conductors.

Abstract: A waterproof shielded cable is disclosed having a metallic shield formed with a longitudinal seam surrounding a core. A strip of material overlays the metallic shield seam with side edges located to each side of the seam. An extruded plastic jacket overlays the metallic shield and strip of material with the jacket being in intimate contact with the shield and with a principle surface of the strip of material but spaced from the strip side edges.A method is also disclosed for manufacturing a shielded cable which comprises the step of wrapping sheet metal about a cable core with the sheet metal edges overlapped to form a shield with a longitudinal seam. The shield seam is overlayed with a strip of material of a type characterized by being shrinkable when heated above a predetermined temperature, and with the strip edges straddling the shield seam. A plastic jacket is extruded onto the shielded core and strip of material at a temperature in excess of the predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A printed circuit board is disclosed which comprises a metal substrate having a first coating thereon and through holes through said coating and substrate with non-linear, undercut walls and a dielectric film coating over said first coating and said non-linear, undercut walls of said through hole. Electrical circuitry is then formed on the dielectric coat in conjunction with the through hole.

Abstract: A zero force connector is constructed of a plurality of tiers of jack-like units (16, 17, 23 and 24) which are simultaneously opened and closed by turning a pair of screws made of sets (31 and 32). Each screw set has left and right-hand threads to cooperate with threaded ends (26,27) of the jack units so that all the jack-like units are moved to engage a plurality of tiers of plugs 10 with minimum sliding forces, thus, preventing abrading of precious metal plating on the contacting elements (13, 14, 18 and 19).

Abstract: A method of bonding microelectronic components (10, 23, 24) is disclosed. A light emitting diode (10) is bonded to a conductive lead (24) and/or a portion of a lead frame (23) using an adhesive having no metallic particles therein. The diode (10) is clamped to the conductive lead (24) and/or the lead frame (23) as the epoxy is cured. Such bonds have been found to exhibit low contact resistance in addition to long life and reliability.

Abstract: Through the use of a uniquely constructed molybdenum frame, a completely additive fabrication method may advantageously be employed to form an array of minute interconnecting circuit crossovers directly on the frame, using photolithographic and plating processes, with the requisite arches of the crossovers being directly formed within specially configured grooves of the frame during the plating operation. The frame is thereafter initially used as a temporary crossover carrier member, and subsequently as a bonding member during the thermo-compression bonding of the individual crossovers to respectively associated bond sites of the circuit, which typically may be of the integrated thin or thick film type. Such a simplified additive crossover generating technique advantageously obviates the need of not only potentially circuit-damaging chemical etching operations, but the many associated processing and handling steps associated therewith.

Abstract: A gas head extrusion apparatus (10), having upper (12) and lower (13) chambers, is arranged to feed glass particulate (60) into the upper chamber (12). The particulate (60) is heated to consolidate the particulate (60) into a first viscous melt (71) as an elevated gas pressure is simultaneously applied within the chamber (12). The first viscous melt (71) is urged through a narrow opening (16) in the bottom (14) of the upper chamber (12) into the lower chamber (13) to form a second viscous melt (73). The lower chamber (13) is pressurized to a second pressure, P.sub.2, where P.sub.1 >P.sub.2. Gas bubbles, having an internal pressure, P.sub.1, formed during the consolidation process in the upper chamber (12), will expand in the lower chamber (13) to facilitate removal thereof from the melt (73). The lower pressure, P.sub.

Abstract: A CCTV camera 32 monitors the sag of a loop of optical fiber 11 extending between a drawing mechanism 12 and a takeup spool 18. The camera is rotated 90.degree. about its optical axis so as to vertically scan the plane of the fiber catenary and forward the video scan signal to a video signal processor 28. The processor continuously determines the displacement of the lowest point of the loop from an optimum position and generates an electrical signal proportional thereto. The signal is forwarded to a spooling motor 19 to adjust the speed of the takeup spool to cause the fiber catenary to return to a predetermined position.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to the vapor condensation heating of articles to an elevated temperature so as to perform, for example, a soldering, brazing or fusing operation thereon, without requiring the immersion of the articles within the heat transfer liquid-generated body of hot saturated vapor. This is accomplished in accordance with several methods and apparatus which allow the saturated body of vapor to controllably rise to and heat only a selected underside surface area (or areas) of each article, in succession, while minimizing the loss of any vapor to the atmosphere at all times.

Abstract: A plurality of inductive coils (FIG. 4; 10--10) are mounted in a coil module (30) which is comprised of an elongated housing (31) having a substantially oval cross section. A potting compound (44) encapsulates the mounted coils (10--10) and a layer of epoxy (46) covers the compound. Leads (11 and 12) from the coils (10--10) are attached to a pair of connectors (42 and 43) which are partially embedded in the epoxy (46) and project through an opening (32) in the housing (31).