Abstract: Articles (18) are transferred from a first position, such as a feed track (37) on which they are located closely spaced, to a second position such as a heat seal apparatus. At the heat seal apparatus the spacing of the articles is to coincide with the spacing of frame members (32) to which the articles are to be joined. The change in the spacing occurs during the transfer of the articles from the first to the second positions by means of a transfer mechanism (41). A plurality of pickup members (43) are slideably mounted to an arm (44) of the mechanism (41). The pickup members (42) which are resiliently urged apart with respect to each other are forced together at one end of the travel of the arm (44) to assume the close spacing established by the width of the pickup members. At the other end of the travel of the arm (44) the resilient urging force drives the pickup members (43) against predetermined stop positions.

Abstract: Plate-like carriers (51) having box-receiving slots (54) formed along one edge and rack teeth (58) formed along an opposite edge are fed from a stack (52) and along a trackway (53) where a pair of cog devices (59 and 61) are cyclically operated on fast and slow cycles to engage the rack teeth and move the carriers along the trackway. Boxes (30) are fed into each advanced carrier slot, whereafter the boxes are moved to an encapsulant dispensing station (63). During each slow cycle of operation of the cog devices a metered charge of encapsulant is dispensed into each pair of adjacent boxes. At a subsequent station (67) a strip (68) of lead-attached capacitors (36) are loaded into all the boxes in a carrier. The assembled boxes and capacitors are stripped from the carrier and moved through an encapsulant curing oven (80).

Abstract: The invention is for an instrument carrying case comprising an open-topped box, a lid having a substantially planar panel for covering the top of the box, and a flexible hinge joining the rear edge of the lid to the top edge of the rear wall of the box such that the lid is movable through an angle of about 270.degree. from a position at which its panel covers the box to an "inside-out" position for the lid at which such panel is adjacent and substantially parallel to the outside of the rear wall of the box, and in which the normally forward part of the lid projects laterally beyond the bottom of the box. The case further comprises a fastening means for securing the box and the lid together when the latter is in such inside-out position.

Abstract: Workpieces (11), such as semiconductor wafers, are treated in a plasma reaction apparatus (10). The wafers are loaded onto a workholder (18), where they become seated in contact with facing surfaces of a plurality of spaced, parallel plates (19, 21). Plasma is generated in each of the spaces (23) between two adjacent ones of the plates by coupling such adjacent plates to opposite terminals (31, 32) of an R-F generator (29). Each of the plates is comprised of a base structure (41) of a thermally stable, conductive material, such as graphite. The base structure is covered with a first layer (43) of a hard material, such as silicon carbide to impart wear resistance to the graphite. The layer (43), in turn, is covered by an outer, conductive layer (44) which, in the described embodiment is a layer of aluminum.

Abstract: A multi-unit telecommunication cable is disclosed in which the twisted wire pairs of the unit are presented adjacent the conductive cable sheath at irregularly spaced locations. The cable may be made by modulating the amplitude and/or frequency of the oscillations of the faceplate employed in twisting the wire pairs together in forming the cable units.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for releasably retaining an article such as an optical cable (10) for rotation of the article. A chuck body (31) is provided along with components (24, 26 and 46-48) for rotating the body (31) and the cable (10) about a common central axis (33). A jaw (34) is affixed to the body (31) and disposed generally laterally of the axis (33). A movable jaw (35) is provided having at least mating surfaces which are complementary to the fixed jaw (34) for mounting thereto and grasping therebetween the cable (10) disposed about the axis (33). Magnetic devices are associated with the jaws (34 and 35) for releasably mounting the movable jaw to the fixed jaw for releasably retaining a cable (10) therebetween. For example, first and second magnets (36 and 37), respectively, may be made a part of a jaw such as movable jaw (35) and be disposed astride the central axis (33).

Abstract: Bodies (22) containing bonding material are applied in a substantially simultaneous manner to each of an array of bonding sites (18). A member (50) holds the bodies (22) in an array corresponding to the array of bonding sites (18). A pickup head (40) holds an array of pickup pins (42) such that pickup ends thereof correspond to the array of bodies (22) and sites (18). A mechanism (31) manipulates the head (40) and the array of pins (42) in steps, to substantially simultaneously engage each of the bodies (22) in the member (50) with a corresponding pickup end of a pin (42), to substantially simultaneously contact each of the bodies (22) to a corresponding bonding site (18) and to substantially simultaneously disengage the pins (42) from the bodies (22). In a preferred embodiment, the bodies (22) contain solder which is readily conductive and frictionally engageable by pressure of the pins (42) upon the bodies (22).

Abstract: A manually operated device (10) adapted to facilitate the removal of a solderless type flat cable connector (15) from the terminated end of a flat cable (19) and, more particularly, to effect the release and pivotal separation of a first connector housing section (17) from a mating second housing section (18) normally snap-lock-secured thereto. The device (10) comprises a pair of pivotally connected, plier-like gripping members (21, 22) that are, in turn, respectively pivotally connected, as well as cross-coupled, to a pair of fixture-supporting gripping jaws (28, 34). As interconnected, the jaws advantageously move in parallel relationship in clamping a third connector housing section (16), fixedly secured to the second housing section (18), between two mutually disposed jaw-supported nesting blocks (42, 44), one (42) being mounted to the associated jaw (28) in a spring-biased manner.

Abstract: An extraction device (10) is adapted for removing a linear array of dual-in-line integrated circuit packages (12), referred to herein as DIPs, from a corresponding array of slotted receiving sockets (14), mounted on a test board (16), and for effecting the temporary magazine-storage of the extracted DIPs. The device comprises a composite elongated body member (21) formed with a forward wedge-shaped portion (23), of essentially T-shaped cross-section, an elongated rearward magazine-supporting portion (24) and a handle portion (27), the latter being located adjacent the rearwardmost end of the magazine-supporting portion (24), oriented downwardly and preferably being of pistol-grip configuration.

Abstract: An auxiliary socket assembly (25) includes an array of sockets (10 or 70) supported within a plastic block (21). Each socket (10 or 70) includes an outer conductive shell (12 or 72) having an upper tubular portion (13 or 73) within which a pre-formed solder insert (26 or 76) is confined and a lower portion formed into a male-type pin (14 or 74) with a selective plating of gold (16 or 74a) thereon. An aligned primary socket (46) which includes an upper female portion (56) and an insert (61) having gold-plated contacts (61a) releasably receives the male-type pin (14 or 74). The primary socket (46) also includes a lower pin portion (58) which is to be positioned within an aligned hole (63) in a circuit board (41) and soldered to a printed circuit (66) formed thereon.

Abstract: A solder mask (62) of special construction is mounted on each of a plurality of crystal filters (10) having continuous seams (16) defined by peripheral edges (20) of filter metal covers (14) and peripheral portions (18) of filter metal headers (12). The crystal filter-solder mask assemblies (10,62) then are passed over a solder wave (24) to solder the continuous seams (16) of the crystal filters (10) simultaneously. The crystal filters (10) are suspended on magnetic carriers (104) of an endless conveyor (106) as the filters pass over the solder wave. During the wave-soldering operation the solder masks (62) preclude solder from access to various critical areas of the crystal filters (10).

Abstract: A printed circuit board is formed from a metal-clad substrate by applying a solvent-free, non-dryable ink in a predetermined pattern on the substrate, dusting powdered resin over the surface, removing any resin powder not retained by the ink from the surface, heating the substrate having the ink powder thereon to a temperature so as to fuse the powdered resin to form a strippable resist, etching the uncoated portion of the metal laminate and stripping the resist subsequent to etching.

Abstract: A trifurcated terminal (10) which is mounted in an aperture (52) in a plastic terminal block (51) is made from flat metallic material and includes a base having a center beam and two lateral beams (18-18) extending therefrom. Portions of the beams define conductor-receiving slots (31-31) having entries (23-23) which establish electrical engagement with insulated conductors (11-11). The center beam includes a locking element (71) which protrudes from one side thereof and which is received in a recess (72) that communicates with the aperture in the plastic block to support the center beam against substantial deflection during insertion of the conductors in either slot. This arrangement permits the beams to be proportioned to engage and retain the conductors without damaging them while having widths which do not cumulatively exceed the width of priorly used terminals in order to preserve the density of a plurality of terminals in a predetermined geometrical arrangement in the terminal block.

Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition reactor (40) is disclosed. The reactor (40) has a vertically mounted tube (43), axially disposed within a chamber (41). A plurality of spaced, planar, wafer holders (44--44), having resistance heated portions (45--45) thereon, are fixedly mounted to and radially extend from the tube (43). Silicon wafers (13--13) are placed on the resistance heated portions of the holders (44--44) and reactant gases are caused to radially flow through apertures (91--91) in the tube (43), between adjacent heated holders (44--44) and across the surface of the wafers (13--13) to deposit doped silicon thereon. Undeposited reactants and gases are removed via an axisymmetric exhaust port 81.

Abstract: The invention relates to a connector(12) adapted to be used with a plastic sheet (15) on a circuit board (13) to effect electrical connection between registering conductive areas of conductive strips 17 and 14 on the adjacent surfaces, of respectively, the sheet and the board. The connector comprises (a) a housing (20) adapted to be placed over the sheet and board and having legs (22) with means at their lower ends to couple the housing to the board (13), and (b) a pressure generating body (41) adjustable in the housing (20) between a first setting at which the body exerts no significant pressure and a second setting at which the body exerts downward pressure on the sheet resulting in a pressing together of the said registering conductive areas on the sheet and board.

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: An apparatus (50) for cutting a wire (21) and softening the insulation thereof. The apparatus (50) is comprised of a pair of wire cutters (52) with a pair of opposed rollers (74, 76) associated therewith. The rollers (74, 76) are mounted for relative movement away from one another to enable an insulated wire to be passed therebetween and into the wire cutters (52). The rollers (74, 76) are also relatively movable toward each other for engaging and softening the wire (21) insulation upon actuation of the wire cutters (52) to cut the wire.

Abstract: A sheet stock transfer apparatus (10) is adapted to successively extract the lowermost sheet (22) of a stack thereof, while initially releasably confined within an elevated magazine (23) at a dispensing station, and to thereafter invert each such extracted sheet while being transferred to, and subsequently precisely positioned within, an underlying workholder (26) of an associated indexably advanced turret (27), for example, at a receiving station. This sequence of operations is accomplished through the use of both a specially constructed rack (11) and a pinion assembly (12). The rack is formed with an intermediate section with teeth and two opposite end sections without teeth.

Abstract: A sealing method and article of manufacture is disclosed wherein a heat-shrinkable sleeve having a partial transmittance to radiation is shrunk and fused to a plastic substrate by the application of radiant heat.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a noncontact, nondestructive method for monitoring the quality of a high energy weld, e.g., laser beam weld. In accordance with the proposed method, an acoustic sensor (32) is positioned at a distance from the welding zone (34) and picks up airborne acoustic emission signals (33) associated with the laser welding process. These acoustic signals, propagating through the air space between the welding zone (34) and the sensor (32), are detected and analyzed (36,37) to determine the quality of the weld (FIG. 3).