Abstract: A technique for automatically centering a lightguide fiber (7) in a transparent plastic coating (6) having a refractive index lower than that of the fiber. The fiber (7) is passed through an applicator (14) having the coating material (6) therein to coat the fiber. Orthogonal laser beams (50 or 52) are directed at the coated fiber (5) resulting in first and second forward scattered light patterns (51 or 53) impinging on first and second screens (36 and 37). The patterns are monitored with a pair of CCTV cameras (38 and 39) and the video output signals therefrom are processed to determine the period (P.sub.1 and P.sub.2) of outboard interference fringes (61 and 62) of each pattern. The period of the interference fringes are compared to determine the difference therebetween which is proportional to the eccentricity of the fiber (7) within the coating. The position of the applicator (14) is then adjusted to center the lightguide fiber (7) in the coating (6).

Abstract: A cable package (20) which includes two coiled cable lengths (22 and 24) interconnected by an intermediate section (26), is formed by winding wire bundles (28 and 30) onto first and second winding sections (44 and 46) of a collapsible reel (42) in sequence. The reel winding sections (44 and 46) are defined by radially-projecting pins 88 which are extendable or retractable by rotation of a hub 84, and which cooperate with cable support rods (80) of the reel to move the reel into an expanded condition for winding and a collapsed condition for removal of the cable package (20). During a winding operation, a wire bundle separator assembly (52) also cooperates with a cable tying device (54) to place memory ties (34) about one of the wire bundles (28 or 30) and binder ties (36) about both of the wire bundles (28 and 30) along the length of the cable package ( 20).

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

Abstract: A method of growing a semiconductor layer by liquid phase epitaxy utilizing a slide type apparatus comprising a substrate carrier having a recess for holding a substrate and a source material carrier slidably arranged over the surface of the substrate carrier and including a well around the recess, comprises the steps of filling said well with material selected from a thermally insulating material and a material which is molten at the temperature of crystal growth and then cycling the temperature of the apparatus in a manner so as to form an epitaxial layer on a substrate in the recess which layer is essentially free of excess edge growth.

Abstract: A sealed rotary joint and method are described wherein a purge fluid is passed over a tube rotating within an end cap and through a ball bearing component of the joint. A vapor stream including a vaporized glass forming precursor entrained in an oxidizing carrier gas is passed into a rotating optical fiber preform tube through a housing supporting the ball bearing. A stream of the oxidizing carrier gas at a pressure greater than the pressure of the vapor stream can act as the purge fluid.

Abstract: A spool for receiving windings of elongated material, such as connectorized lightguide cable, is made of compressive and resilient material and has a flange on each end of a hub portion. Each flange has inner and outer rims of differing diameter and a clearance therebetween for forming a channel to hold a connector that terminates an end of the cable. The channel communicates with the surface of the hub via a flared groove for passing the cable ends from hub to channel. The spool is assembled by intermeshing two identical segments.

Abstract: Two spaced stacks of magnetically soft E-cores, (17 and 18) are supported in spaced relation by pairs of magnets (38 and 39) on opposite sides of each stack. A pair of shuttles (41 and 47) move alternately toward and away from each other and under the stacks to pick off the lower core in each stack. The shuttles alternately advance the cores into a transformer frame (10) where a pair of magnets (66 and 67) are effective to hold the cores in an assembled position within the frame while the shuttles return for another E-core feeding operation. Entry of the cores into the frame is facilitated by a pair of rotating drums (71 and 72) having staggered arrays of magnets (78 and 79) which act to rapidly vibrate the E-cores (17 and 18) and thus prevent lodging of the cores against the frame.

Abstract: Conditioning apparatus for a cast metal bar is disclosed which comprises a conveyor having a plurality of blocks each of which has a surface depression defining a bar support and guide channel, an endless support to which the blocks are mounted in an endless series with the block bar support and guide channels tandemly aligned, and means for driving the endless support and series of blocks along a circuitous path that extends generally linearly through a bar conditioning station. The apparatus also comprises hold down roller means located at the bar conditioning station for holding a cast metal bar in the bar support and guide channels of blocks being driven through the bar condition station; means for trimming a cast metal bar supported and guided in the bar support and guide channels of blocks at the bar conditioning station, and means for flushing bar trimmings from the bar supported on the conveyor at the conditioning station.

Abstract: A printed circuit board is formed by forming a negative resist pattern over the surface of a substrate, etching the surface, sensitizing and catalyzing the surface, stripping the negative mask and catalytic layer thereover leaving a positive catalytic circuit pattern on the substrate and electrolessly plating copper over the catalytic image. A preferred variation of this method includes flash plating a thin porous electroless deposit over the catalyzed substrate prior to stripping the resist layer.

Abstract: Apparatus (20) for imparting stepwise movement to a strip (10) having pilot holes (12) comprising, a frame (27), a carriage (26) mounted by said frame to be longitudinally movable in relation thereto, a pin (22) coupled with said carriage movable therewith and laterally movable in relation to said path between positions at which pin is adapted to enter into and to be retracted from a pilot hole in said strip. A link (30) is adapted to undergo alternate forward and reverse strokes and is coupled to said carriage by a lost motion coupling (46, 57, 56, 57) so that, during a first interval of each such stroke, the carriage and link are uncoupled with the carriage remaining stationary and, during a second interval of each of such strokes, the carriage and link are coupled to move together.

Abstract: Magnetic articles (10) are advanced in single file within a tube (14) for dispensing therefrom. A first magnetic device (20) establishes a magnetic field to releasably seize the leading article (10) such that trailing articles (10) are stopped in the tube (14). A second magnetic device (22) operates at a fixed location along the tube (14) and establishes a magnetic field to releasably seize the next trailing article (10) in the tube (14). A mechanism (40) then indexes the device (20) with the seized, leading article (10) a sufficient distance away from attraction of the second device (20) such that, when the leading article (10) is released by device (20), it is also released from tube (14).

Abstract: A conical end portion of a connector plug and an end portion of a lightguide fiber which is encapsulated by the plug are prepared to form a conical end portion which is suitable for interconnection with a conical end portion of another plug within a sleeve with precise end separation of opposing end portions of the fibers. The conical portion of the plug is seated in engagement with a surface which is mateable with the outwardly facing surface of a conical end portion of the plug with an end portion of the fiber extending beyond the plug. In order to prepare the lightguide fiber, a disc which is mounted for rotation about an axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the end portion of the lightguide fiber is moved along a path of travel obliquely transverse of the lightguide fiber. This disc is rotated to cause its peripheral edge surface to sever the portion of the lightguide fiber that extends from the plug to form an end surface.

Abstract: In order to prevent cutting of inner windings of a film (39) wound on a pair of arbor halves (34 and 38) during sequential withdrawal of the arbor halves following a winding operation, the arbor halves are forge formed with rounded protuberant winding surfaces (51, 52 and 53). The rounded surfaces may be coated with a low friction plastic to enhance sequential arbor withdrawal without pulling the inner convolutions from the wound film plastic (39). Further, the arbor halves are provided with ends (36) bent beyond 90.degree. so that the arbor halves may force seat in holes (42) formed in holders. The arbor bent end construction will also allow an operator to strike the bent end of the arbor half in a hole to quickly remove a defective arbor to permit quick replacement with a new arbor half.

Abstract: A tool for assembling a plurality of conductors into secured engagement with a mandrel of a multicontact electrical connector includes a plurality of spaced combs which are positioned adjacent a nest to hold the conductors transversely above a mandrel which is supported in the nest. In each cycle of operation, a head of the tool is prepositioned with respect to the nest and moved into engagement with the conductors to cause a forming die of the head to partially form the conductors about the mandrel and cooperate with a blade adjacent the nest to sever excess lengths of free end portions of the conductors. The head is repositioned with respect to the next so that when the head is again moved, in a second step of the cycle, forces are applied which are sufficient to form the conductors completely about the mandrel with each conductor being pressed into secured engagement with an associated recess on each side of the mandrel.

Abstract: The walls 41 (FIG. 4) of thru holes 11 in a printed wiring board substrate 12 are coated with a liquid 24 by inserting fingers 22 into the thru holes. Each of the fingers has a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the associated thru hole and has a length no greater than the thickness of the substrate 12. After ink 24 has been applied to the top surface of the substrate, the inserted fingers 22 are withdrawn, thereby drawing the ink down into the thru holes and coating the walls 41. In another embodiment, fingers 62 are aligned with selected portions 52 of an edge 55 of the substrate 50 to coat the portions of the edge as the fingers are moved by the edge after the heads of the fingers have been coated with the ink 24.

Abstract: Apparatus for heating a vertically suspended preform from which lightguide fiber is drawn includes a torch having a plurality of ducts that open to a surface adjacent to a lower end of the preform. Fuel and oxidizing gases flow from the ducts, mix at the surface and flame about a necked-down, lower portion of the preform to form a melt cone from which the fiber is drawn. The ducts and the preform are positioned to cause a combustion zone of each flame to impinge upon the preform. In a preferred embodiment, the openings of the ducts are arrayed in a circle which is referred to as a pitch circle and which has a diameter that is less than that of the preform. Also, the ducts are arranged so that the gases are directed at a predetermined angle to the axis of the preform.

Abstract: A hybrid integrated circuit (121) is coupled to an adapter circuit (151) to facilitate trimming of film resistors (126, 127, 128 and 129) formed on the hybrid circuit. The adapter circuit (151) includes a plurality of safety resistors (156, 157 and 158) which are to be selectively added in series with the film resistor (126) to be trimmed. A computer (145) facilitates the measurement of (1) the resistance of the untrimmed film resistor (126) and (2) the gain of the hybrid circuit (121). Depending upon the measured gain, the safety resistors (156, 157 and 158) are selectively added in series with the film resistor (126) to establish a basic resistance value. Thereafter, the film resistor (126) is trimmed by a laser (144) until the resistance value of the film resistor (126) is equal to the basic resistance value. Other safety resistors are used during the trimming of the remaining resistors (127, 128 and 129).

Abstract: Several flat cable embodiments (10, 10', 10", 10'", 10"") are disclosed, as are methods and apparatus (30) for the selective manufacture and connectorization of same. In accordance with one preferred flat cable embodiment (10), adapted for telephone under carpet applications, two precisely offset arrays of rectangularly shaped conductors (13, 14) are separated by a center film (16), with each array being adhesively bonded through an associated adhesive coating (21 or 22) to only the respectively adjacent one of two outer films (18 or 19).

Abstract: The magnetic intensity in a succession of strips (12) in an article (10) is measured by producing relative motion between the article (10) and a magnetic sensing head (23) to produce a succession of first voltage waveforms. Each such waveform has a shape substantially characterized by the positions of the poles (13 and 14) in a respective strip (12). Each incremental portion of the shape has an amplitude proportional to the magnetic intensity sensed along the surface of the strip (12) and to the instantaneous speed of the relative motion between the sensing head (23) and such surface. By coupling a generator (31) to the article (10), a second voltage waveform is produced having a shape for each strip, wherein each incremental portion has an amplitude proportional to an instantaneous speed equivalent to the speed producing the first voltage waveform for the respective strip (12).

Abstract: A technique for elevating the temperature of a heat transfer liquid is disclosed. The liquid, at a low temperature (e.g., 70.degree. F.), is directed through a coil (72) located in the upper portion of an enclosed chamber (71). Condensing, hot vapor on the coils (72) heats the liquid (e.g., 200.degree. F.) passing therethrough. The heated liquid from the coil (72) passes, via a conduit (73) into a reservoir in the lower portion of the chamber (71) where immersion heaters (76-76) heat the liquid (e.g., 400.degree. F.) to the desired temperature. The heated liquid is then discharged from the chamber (71) via an outlet pipe (74). Advantageously, the vapor from the heated liquid in the reservoir is the same vapor which condenses on the coils (72).