Abstract: A diffusion device is provided within or as an attachment to the nozzle of a hair dryer which provides a nearly constant air volume at varying velocities. A hair dryer improvement for varying the air flow output from the hair dryer nozzle. The improvement is a diffusion device which consists of a pair of vanes pivotally mounted downstream of the nozzle. Placement of the vanes in varying positions causes the output air flow to be either concentrated along the nozzle axis or diffused by causing varying portions of the air flow to be directed through the peripheral side wall of the diffusion device. Since the diffusion device offers very little obstruction to the air flow, the volume of air remains nearly constant for the varying diffuser vane positions.

Abstract: In a MIG arc welding system, a docking body having utilities passages therethrough is mountable at the welding station. Means are provided at one end of the body for accepting incoming utilities such as consumable wire electrode, shielding gas, welding potential and cooling water. Different types of welding gun or torch assemblies are interchangeably manually mountable and demountable at the other end of the welding body without disturbing the docking body or the utilities coupled thereto. Plug-type water fittings on the welding gun or torch assembly are receivable in receptacles in the docking body which communicate with the water passages, actuator tips on the fittings actuating normally-closed, spring-biased check valves in the passages to prevent leakage of water from the docking body when the welding gun or torch assembly is demounted. The gun or torch assembly is held in place by a coupling nut which is threadedly engaged with the docking body.

Abstract: A diaphragm-type pressure sensor employs a monocrystalline wafer as a pressure-responsive diaphragm. The wafer has a central active area surrounded by a first bonding area on one side and a second bonding area on the other side. The first bonding area is attached by a first layer of bonding material to a base, and the second bonding area is attached by a second layer of bonding material to a cap. The inside diameter of the first bonding layer is greater than the inside diameter of the second bonding layer by an amount of at least approximately six times the thickness of the diaphragm. This disparity between the respective inside diameters of the two bonding layers results in the relief of radially-directed tensile loading on the first bonding layer when a pressure to be measured is applied to the first side of the diaphragm. Consequently, the probability of a fracture occurring in this bonding layer is minimized.

Abstract: A method for induction hardening through hardened chromium-molybdenum hot work die steel comprising the steps of induction heating to a uniform temperature above the upper critical temperature, cooling, and double tempering at temperatures below the lower critical temperature to produce a workpiece having a tough core and a hard wear resistant surface. An apparatus is provided for induction hardening long workpieces with minimum distortion by providing an inductor coil which always remains centered around the workpiece during induction coil traverse. Mandrel bars for tube piercing mills can be induction hardened using this process and apparatus.

Abstract: A shoe machine for heating a shoe part is disclosed having a housing which defines a chamber. Shrouds are located centrally within the chamber defining first and second operating zones on either side of the shrouds. A heater is displaceable from a first operating position within the first operating zone to a park position within the shrouds to a second operating position within the second operating zone, and heats shoe parts supported within the first and second operating zones.

Abstract: A travelling wire EDM apparatus wherein a workpiece is cut by electrical discharges by a travelling wire electrode, relative motion of the workpiece and the wire electrode being controlled by a numerical control unit which, in addition, controls transverse oscillations of the electrode wire relative to the workpiece along the cutting path. The energy of the electrical discharges is varied as a function of the amplitude of the transverse oscillations of the electrode wire relative to the workpiece such as to obtain maximum electrical discharge energy when the amplitude of vibration of the electrode wire is at a minimum and minimum energy when the amplitude of vibration of the electrode wire is at a maximum.

Abstract: AT (automatic threading) of wire through a workpiece without the need for a preformed through-hole therein is achieved on a TW (traveling-wire) electroerosion machine (TW-E machine) by utilizing a tubular electroerosion electrode positioned in axial alignment with a wire-threading path. Wire from a wire supply is introduced into the tubular electrode so as to extend through a tool holder therefor. The tubular electrode is advanced along the wire-threading path into and through the workpiece while electroerosively forming a bore therein. Wire is dispensed from the supply to allow wire to move out of the tubular electrode while the latter at least partially remains in the bore so that the wire passes into the wire outlet side of the cutting zone towards a takeup assembly. The tubular electrode may then be retracted along the wire-threading path from the workpiece while leaving wire in the bore finished in the workpiece.

Abstract: A mounting for integrated circuit chips or solid state gas sensors, with superior thermal and electrical insulative properties. The mounting incorporates a tiny thin-wall glass capillary tube as the pedestal on which the chip or sensor is mounted. The glass tube holding the chip or sensor is then mounted on any base. A high temperature ceramic adhesive is used to hold the structure together. This method gives good mechanical support to the chip or sensor while reducing the amount of heat lost to the support structure. By using this technique, the amount of power required to heat the device to elevated temperature is vastly reduced.

Abstract: A hand-held hair dryer with a high level of sound and vibration suppression. The hair dryer includes sound absorbing material attached to the inner surface of the hair dryer housing and having a selected density to provide maximum sound absorption in a relatively thin layer of material. A motor with integral fan is mounted on the hair dryer handle by an elastomeric vibration isolator so as to be isolated from the dryer housing. The fan blade noise, in part absorbed by the sound absorbing material on the inner surface of the hair dryer housing, is further grossly suppressed by special sound absorbing structures located at the extreme inlet and outlet of the housing, such as a structure functioning as a Helmholtz resonator, with that structure itself being vibration isolated from the hair dryer housing. Preferably an aerodynamically designed heater is used downstream of the fan to minimize the vortex noise.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for machining interfitting members to improve their fit wherein the members are positioned to place their surfaces to be interfitted in a complementary relationship with a small gap spacing therebetween. A fluid delivery assembly includes a manifold supplied with a pressurized EDM liquid medium from a source thereof and a plurality of nozzles having each a respective valve and commonly projecting from the manifold. The nozzles have their respective nozzle outlets arranged in an array so as to be disposed individually adjacent to and distributed uniformly in the array along a continuous opening or slit formed as a continuous, narrow and elongate outlet opening of the gap spacing between the members where the surfaces to be interfitted terminate.

Abstract: A heat roller fixing device for use in an electrophotographic copying apparatus and the like, which includes a heating roller constituted by a fluorine resin layer laminated on an electrically conductive core member through a primer layer the heated roller being driven for rotation, and a pressure roller constituted by an electrically insulative layer on another electrically conductive core member and held in contact with the heating roller for simultaneous rotation with the heating roller so as to fix a charged toner image formed on copy paper onto the copy paper by causing the copy paper carrying the toner image thereon to pass between the heating roller and pressure roller. The primer layer is composed of a primer having incorporated therein an electrically conductive material, and the primer of the primer layer is partly exposed at the surface of the fluorine resin layer.

Abstract: A thermal head composed of an electrically insulative substrate, a resistive film made of TiO.sub.x (0<x<2) formed on the substrate, and an electrode made of a metal such as Au, Al, and Cu etc. The resistive film is produced by an electron beam vapor deposition method employing an apparatus having a vacuum chamber wherein an evaporation source composed of Ti is irradiated with an electron beam to evaporate Ti so as to deposit a resultant TiO.sub.x on the substrate.

Abstract: Cracks in an Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 anti-abrasion layer of a thermal printing head resulting from the crystallization of the Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 in the layer, are suppressed by the addition of SiO.sub.2 to the layer. The anti-abrasion layer is provided as a uniform mixture of Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 and SiO.sub.2 throughout the layer by sputtering a target composed of a mixture containing tantalum and silicon ingredients onto an antioxidation layer. The thermal printing head is also subjected to annealing to stabilize the resistivity of the heating elements.

Abstract: An improved heat treatment furnace and method of constructing the same is enclosed wherein the duct work of the furnace includes directional vanes and adjustable plenum vents and chamber dampers to yield a substantially uniform air flow pattern within the heat treatment chamber. The plenum vents and chamber dampers are provided with remotely operable actuating means which permit rapid adjustment of the vents and dampers from the exterior of the furnace during the heat treatment process and/or furnace certification. The furnace additionally incorporates a novel ribbon heating element/fiber insulation assembly and construction method which substantially reduces furnace operating costs and insures that only convectional heat transfer (as opposed to radiant) occurs within the heat treatment chamber of the furnace.

Abstract: A modular welding apparatus comprises a welding assembly having a welding head with an integral actuating assembly. A foot treadle initiates motion of the welding head. A conductive base member is spaced from the welding head. A welding power supply has one lead connected to the welding head and a second lead connected to the base member. An interchangeable welding module is disposed on the base member in electrical contact therewith. The welding module includes a conductive support plate and a locking cam for detachably attaching the support plate to the base member. Two movable, pre-aligned welding electrodes are disposed on the welding module. One of the welding electrodes is electrically connected to the base member and the other welding electrode is electrically connected to the welding head. At least one of the electrodes is in communication with the actuating assembly.

Abstract: A plasma burner for introducing an ionizable gas stream into an electric arc comprises a nozzle having an outlet opening for discharging the gas stream. The outlet opening is defined by an outlet part of the nozzle; the outlet part has an inner nozzle face conically tapering, at an acute first cone angle, in a direction of the outlet opening. The plasma burner further has an electrode surrounded by the outlet part and having an outer electrode face conically tapering, at an acute second cone angle, in the direction of the outlet opening. The inner nozzle face and the outer electrode face together define a conical annular channel.

Abstract: A humidity sensitive device for sensing the humidity of an ambient humidity comprising a humidity sensitive resistor 15 which comprises as main component at least one selected from the group consisting of ZrO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5 and Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 and an electric heater 13 applied near and for heating and retaining the humidity sensitive resistor 15 at a temperature above 200.degree. C. The humidity sensitive resistor 15 and a fixed resistor are series connected across an AC voltage source 17, and a voltage across the humidity sensitive resistor 15 or the fixed resistor 16 is rectified by a AC/DC converter and compared with a reference voltage by a comparator, thereby an output responding to humidity in the atmosphere can be measured for a wide range of temperature.

Abstract: Apparatus for welding studs utilizing a two-wire control is provided. The apparatus includes a stud welding tool capable of welding studs by a drawn-arc technique. A stud welding control circuit and a source of welding power are remotely located from the tool with the difference exceeding one hundred feet in some applications. Heretofore, two wires were required to connect the tool and the control circuit to initiate the welding cycle and two additional wires were required to control movement of the stud during the welding cycle independently of the position of a start switch on the tool after the switch is closed. The present apparatus requires only two wires to both initiate and control the weld cycle. This reduces costs and maintenance and increases reliability and maneuverability of the tool.

Abstract: A method which serves to bond electrically conductive wires by means of heating and of a soldering material; it is applicable in particular to wire segments of a hot wire fastened on wire holders for measuring the mass of a flowing medium, where the wire segments intersect one another and form a loop. In the method, in a first operation, the wire to be bonded is guided around the respective wire holder such that it forms a loop, and a soldering segment provided with a layer of soldering material comes to rest in the vicinity of the intersection point of the wire segments, in fact only at one of the wire segments.

Abstract: A braided, composite lead-in conduit for use in conducting electricity to electroconductive heating means of a heated, multiple-glazed window has spaces between individual wires filled with a substantially moisture impervious material to minimize mositure-vapor penetration into the insulating air space of the window.