Abstract: Amounting apparatus used to fasten a PCB (10) with through holes (12) includes a supporting board (20) and a plurality of clips (30) mounted on the PCB. The supporting board has a plurality of standoffs (22) corresponding to the through holes of the PCB. Each of the clips includes a resilient portion (34) and defines a mounting opening (35) for having the standoffs sliding therein. When the standoffs press on the resilient portions of the clips, the PCB is clamped on the supporting board.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for determining a change in the viscosity of a fluid, the apparatus including means for heating a portion of the fluid so that the heated portion will rise within the fluid, means for determining the heated portion's rise time, means for determining the heated portion's average velocity as it rises through the fluid and means for determining the viscosity of the fluid based on the rise time and/or average velocity of the heated portion. The method allows for permitting the temperature and agitation of the fluid to stabilize prior to heating a portion of the fluid so that it will rise within fluid. The rise time and/or average velocity of the heated portion is determined and the viscosity of the fluid may be determined the rise time and/or average velocity to a baseline rise time and/or average velocity. An output signal may be generated that is indicative of whether there has been a change in the fluid's viscosity and/or whether the fluid should be changed.

Abstract: The invention concerns dew point hygrometers based on condensation of dew on ends of optical fibers, or on surfaces of an optical prism. The invention also concerns a dew sensor for determining the natural dew condensation by optical means and a dew sensor capable of detecting dew by detecting a change in capacitance.

Abstract: An improved electronic thermometer for measuring human body temperature includes a stem and a cartridge located in the stem. The cartridge has a slide trough, a brake member and a stopping block located at one end thereof, and a sensor means and a trigger means located therein. The trigger means includes an impact pin located in the slide trough, a sway contact strip engaged with the brake member and a contact pad engaged with the stopping block. The thermometer may be turned on or off by swinging and is watertight.

Abstract: An ear type thermometer for metering a body temperature includes a thermometer body, and a probe mounted in the thermometer body and adapted to be inserted into an ear. The probe is provided with a probe cover. A screwing member is provide for fixing the probe cover on the probe.

Abstract: The compass system of the present invention utilizes an improved calibration routine in which a processing circuit of the compass recalibrates the compass each time three data points are obtained from a magnetic field sensor that meet predetermined criteria. One such criterion is that the three data points define corners of a triangle that is substantially non-obtuse. When three data points have been obtained that define a triangle meeting this criterion, the processing circuit calculates a center point for a circle upon which all three data points lie by solving the equation x2+y2+Ax+By+C=0 for A, B, and C, using the coordinate values (x,y) for the three data points and defining the center point as (−A/2, −B/2).

Abstract: An angular encoder including a flexible measurement tape having a graduation and secured to a sector of a convex or concave, as the case may be, circumferential surface of a support, a scanning head for scanning the graduation of the measurement tape and two tensioning or pressure devices provided at opposite ends of the measurement tape, dependent on whether the measurement tape abuts a convex or concave circumferential surface, respectively, which apply to the two ends of the measurement tape equal tensioning or pressure forces acting in opposite directions, respectively.

Abstract: This invention involves the addition of a feature to a car stereo which will allow the display of outside air temperature on the stereo's LCD/LED. A thermocouple probe is mounted on the car's exterior in any of several possible locations (such as the radio antenna) and its output is transmitted to an input jack on the stereo. The car stereo is modified to interpret the signal from the probe and display the corresponding outside air temperature in either Centigrade or Fahrenheit degrees as desired.

Abstract: A railroad tank car containing liquid, has a tube through its top, with the closed lower end of the tube in the liquid. A float slidable along the tube exterior is magnetically coupled to an ultrasound reflector piston inside the tube so that, when the tube is in the liquid in the tank, the float determines the height of the piston inside the tube. An ultrasonic transducer atop the tube sends pulses down the tube and which are reflected by the piston to the transducer. A computer coupled to the transducer determines and displays the liquid level. The piston is cup-shaped with a known distance between reflecting surfaces for use in the computer to produce a display value corrected for temperature variations.

Abstract: The ceramic tile and marble wall-cut measuring ruler enables the tile or marble installer to properly measure the pieces of tile or marble which will be cut and installed between the wall and the previously installed tile or marble on the floor or wall. This device is a one piece ruler-like measuring device which will automatically deduct the size of the required grout-line measurement from the tile or marble to be cut, there-by saving installation time and product waste. The ceramic tile and marble wall-cut measuring ruler will be manufactured for specific size grout lines, of which the normal standards for grout lines are 1/4,1/2, and 3/4 inches in measurement.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for non-contact temperature, emissivity and area estimation for gray and non-gray (uniform and non-uniform surface emissivity) are disclosed. Optical power measurements are obtained for radiation from a surface of interest in multiple wavelength bands. These power measurements are used to generate an expression for surface emissivity as a function of unknown temperature and surface projected area. At each of series of trial temperatures and areas within a predetermined range of physically plausible values, a value for emissivity at each measured wavelength is obtained. A best fit between these emissivity data points and a selected model emissivity function is obtained by least-squares minimization. The trial temperature and area which yield both the smallest minimum sum of squares and an emissivity value within predetermined physical constraints are concluded to be the temperature and projected surface area.

Abstract: The present invention is a sewer back-up indicator that is positioned within the hole in the cover of the manhole. The indicator includes a bushing and a rod having a valve at one end and an inflatable balloon at the other. The valve is adapted to receive a gas source which supplies the gas down the length of the rod into the balloon, thus inflating the balloon. When the balloon is in the deflated state, the device can be inserted into position within the hole in the manhole cover and subsequently removed from this position without lifting or removing the cover from the manhole. Connected to the other end of the valve is a flexible member that carries a flag having a legend thereon. When the device is in its up position, the flag and flexible member indicate that fluid within the manhole has risen, thus signaling a potential back-up.

Abstract: A sensor in the probe head of a coordinate measuring device supplies probe signals. The first, and if necessary, higher time derivatives of the probe signals are formed and evaluated for the exact determination of the moment of contact of the probe head with a workpiece to be measured. During the evaluation, the time course of the differentiated signals is examined by means of automatically generated trigger thresholds.

Abstract: An electrical wire marker, marking method and system for identifying a wire associated with a particular circuit or to be installed in a particular electrical circuit are disclosed. The wire marker includes an identifier and color indicia. The identifier is associated with a particular electrical circuit in which the wire is to be connected. The color indicia corresponds to a particular color or wire color associated with that particular electrical circuit.

Abstract: A school bus is equipped with a crossing arm mechanism that is mounted on the front bumper at the passenger side. The mechanism includes a crossing arm assembly that is pivoted between a retracted (stored) position adjacent the front bumper and an extended (operative) position where the crossing arm assembly extends outwardly of the bus bumper in a perpendicular fashion to control pedestrian traffic. The crossing arm assembly includes a plastic bracket that is pivotally attached to an actuating mechanism and a cantilever beam that is attached to the bracket at one end. The bracket has two vertically spaced pivot arms and a beam mounting portion that supports the cantilever beam. The cantilever beam is a plastic extrusion that comprises upper and lower tubular sections that are interconnected by a web portion. The extrusion is modified at one end for attachment to the bracket.

Abstract: An absolute radiation thermometer capable of evaluating the absolute value of infrared radiation power emitted from a target and received by a radiation sensor by means of electrical calibration, and calculating the temperature of the target basing on the responsive signal generated in the radiation sensor. To solve "Microphonic" problem, two identical sensors connected in parallel with the polarized orientations of their pyroelectric layers being in opposite directions so as to cancel the piezoelectric signals generated in the two sensors are used. Further, by using a floating power supply, which is isolated from the system power supply of the thermometer, for performing electrical heating, power supply noise can be greatly reduced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for temperature measurement especially suited for low cost, low power, moderate accuracy implementation. It uses a sensor whose resistance varies in a known manner, either linearly or nonlinearly, with temperature, and produces a digital output which is proportional to the temperature of the sensor. The method is based on performing a zero-crossing time measurement of a step input signal that is double differentiated using two differentiators functioning as respective first and second time constants; one temperature stable, and the other varying with the sensor temperature.

Abstract: A CO.sub.2 cartridge is permanently attached to a cartridge status indicator so that a user need not perform a detailed inspection to determine if the cartridge has been used or not. If the cartridge has been used, the status indicator will so indicate upon casual visual inspection, and if the cartridge has not been used, the causal inspection will also reveal that fact. The gas is released by two different methods. The first requires only that the user pull a cord. Pulling the cord shifts a support member laterally within the inflator, and previously misaligned legs and bores enter into alignment with one another. When aligned, the legs enter into the bores under the influence of a spring positioned in the inflator and the support member is driven into puncturing relation to a membrane. If moisture is encountered, the cord need not be pulled because the moisture collapses a dissolvable element, and the pierce pin is driven into puncturing relation with the membrane under the force of the spring.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the centering of objects by positioning a slider that is not only movable within a base but also moveable therebeyond in opposite directions in relation to stop members for holding an object at a centering position where a projection extending from the slider is used to mark the center with reference to markings along the base at the slider and on the stop members.

Abstract: Index for use in measuring instruments includes a main body formed with a transparent synthetic resin and having an indicating portion for indicating measured values; a skirt portion formed on the base of the main body with the same transparent synthetic resin as that of the main body and having a hole through which the distal end of an index shaft of a movement element from the measuring instrument is inserted; a balancer disposed on a side opposite to that of the indicating portion and over the skirt portion with a synthetic resin blended with a high specific gravity material for adjusting the balance to the indicating portion; and a cap formed with a non-transparent synthetic resin for covering the base portion of the main body and balancer.