Patents Examined by John W. Caldwell
  • Patent number: 4825980
    Abstract: A railroad slack adjuster has a threaded rod, one end of which is adapted to be connected to one portion of a railroad car brake rigging and a tube telescopic with the rod and adapted to be connected to another portion of the brake rigging. A clutch member is rotatably mounted on the rod for engagement with opposing clutch surfaces on the tube. A housing is telescopicaly positioned about the rod, tube and clutch member. There are springs positioned about the tube and effective between the tube and housing to urge the tube inwardly of the housing. There are further springs positioned about the rod and urging the rod inwardly of the tube. A brake application tension applied at opposite ends of the slack adjuster to the rod and tube cause the clutch member to move between the tube opposing clutch surfaces as the slack adjuster lets out and takes up slack in the brake rigging during brake application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
    Inventor: Eugene W. Schmitt
  • Patent number: 4827251
    Abstract: A display control system with a control of background luminance or color data applicable for a personal computer with a paper-white type display device includes a character video signal generation unit, a background luminance setting register, a video enable signal generation unit, a video signal priority unit, and a video signal synthesis unit. A first video enable signal from the video enable signal generation unit controls the supply of the video signals to the video signal priority unit. A second video enable signal from the video enable signal generation unit controls a display of background in a background luminance tone or color designated by the background luminance setting register for an intermediate range when the character video signal is absent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Assignee: Panafacom Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Aoki, Kenichi Naka
  • Patent number: 4827243
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a keyboard button structure. Each button has a pair of side mounted "U" shaped plates. Holes are provided in the housing panel and protrusions are formed inside the holes to permit rapid assembly of the button into the holes, and to prevent loss of buttons. A rubber member between the button and the panel provides button return and also permits feel of the contact and comfortable operation. The invention's novel structure provides economic and other advantages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Inventor: Sheng-chuang Cheng
  • Patent number: 4827252
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for using stored data to produce a representation of a surface from the perspective of a platform moving across the surface (e.g. of ground terrain from an aircraft overflying the terrain) wherein the representation comprises a perspective view of an array of elements modelling the surface and the orientation of the array with respect to the surface changes with the direction of movement of the platform across the surface so as to keep the array aligned with the direction of platform movement and so avoid confusing changes in the display with changes in platform movement direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Assignee: Gec-Marconi Limited
    Inventors: Michael L. Busbridge, David J. Puleston
  • Patent number: 4825205
    Abstract: A changeable display unit for use in a sign device which comprises a case containing an electromagnet disposed therein and extending along the opposite sides thereof, the case including a case aperture disposed at the front side thereof, a fixed plate containing a plate aperture disposed at the center thereof, the fixed plate being bent at its center to form wing portions which extend therefrom, the fixed plate being attached to the case so that their respective apertures coincide, a movable plate rotably attached to the fixed plate at the center thereof, the movable plate containing a circular permanent magnet disposed therewithin whereby when the electromagnet is activated, the movable plate is selectively moved between the wing portions of the fixed plate whereby the opposite sides of the movable plate containing desired images are selectively displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1989
    Inventor: Gyu S. Lee
  • Patent number: 4825212
    Abstract: A touch control system for a cathode ray tube, or other touch-controlled device capable of recognizing touch positions along a predetermined coordinate axis on a three-dimensionally curved touch surface, includes a substrate comprising a segment of a three-dimensionally curved surface having a touch surface capable of propagating surface acoustic waves. An input surface wave transducer serves to launch a collimated beam of surface acoustic wave energy on the touch surface. If undisturbed, the beam would travel along a path that corresponds to a great circle on the curved surface. An output surface wave transducer develops an electrical output signal upon receipt of surface acoustic wave energy derived from the beam. A reflective array is provided which establishes travel of the beam of energy along a desired path on the touch surface having a contour intermediate a great circle and a parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1989
    Assignee: Zenith Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Adler, Peter C. J. Desmares
  • Patent number: 4825201
    Abstract: A display device having a number of display panels arranged in a plane to constitute a large picture image screen includes a correction-value determining means positioned in front of and apart from the display panels to observe the optical condition of the display panels so as to determine a part to be corrected in the display panels and a value to be corrected for the part, a correction signal generating means for generating a correction signal on the basis of the corrected value which is provided from the correction value determining means, correction circuits for the display panels, and a recorrection signal generating means which receives the correction signal from the correction signal generating means and transmits a recorrection signal to the correction circuit for one or more number of the display panels to be corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1989
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Watanabe, Makoto Ota, Toshiharu Imamura
  • Patent number: 4825203
    Abstract: A color liquid crystal display device which comprises picture element electrodes arranged in a matrix that is made up of the intersecting points of row electrodes and column electrodes, a 1st circuit board with switching elements that are connected to these picture element electrodes, a 2nd circuit board with opposing electrodes, a liquid crystal layer that is inserted in between the said 1st and 2nd circuit boards, a color filter with a specific pattern in between the said 1st and 2nd circuit boards, and a column electrode drive circuit that applies voltage corresponding to color arrangement of the color filter and the density of the display to the said column electrode. The column electrode drive circuit includes a sampling circuit which samples the momentary voltage corresponding to the display picture element out of the display signals that are input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1989
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Takeda, Kunihiko Yamamoto, Nobuaki Matsuhashi, Hiroshi Take
  • Patent number: 4823121
    Abstract: An EL (electroluminescent) panel driving system includes a display control circuit for producing, line by line, an image data. The image data of each line is defined by a combination of a HIGH level signal representing a spot illumination of the EL panel and a LOW level signal representing a non-illumination of a spot on the EL panel. The system further includes a pre-charge circuit and a pull-up charge circuit for providing a first range voltage to the EL panel at the beginning of each line scan operation to make the EL panel ready to illuminate, and a write-in circuit and a source level switching circuit for providing a second range voltage to the EL panel to permit the spot illumination of the EL panel in accordance with the HIGH level signals contained in the image data. These four circuits are turned on by four signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1989
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Sakamoto, Shigeyuki Harada, Toshihiro Ohba
  • Patent number: 4823120
    Abstract: An enhanced video graphics controller for converting digital signals to a video signal is described. The controller is capable of displaying composite or analog RGB colors as well as providing shades of grey on monochrome displays. The processing of graphics information includes arranging 256 colors into 16 palettes of 16 colors each and is stored in a first memory. Pointers are assigned to each scan line of a frame of a display and these pointers are also stored in the first memory. Data fields which represent bit mapped video data are also stored in the first memory. For each scan line, a corresponding pointer is selected and this pointer selects one of the palettes to be loaded into a second memory. Then data field for that scan line address the second memory to provide color to the stored video data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1989
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Laurence A. Thompson, Robin B. Moore
  • Patent number: 4821330
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wide-band loudspeaker in which the overall diaphragm is divided into an inner and an outer diaphragm sub-area. The inner diaphragm sub-area preferably consists of a dome-shaped cover of the moving-coil support. The outer diaphragm sub-area can be formed as a cone or NAWI diaphragm or as a shaped or moulded body, the shaped body having an at least approximately planar front face and its rear boundary face having the form of a cone or NAWI diaphragm. The outer diaphragm sub-area is connected to the moving-coil support by a frequency-dependent yieldable connection with high damping which at high audiofrequencies practically decouples the outer diaphragm sub-area from the moving-coil support but at low audiofrequencies acts like a rigid connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignee: Peter Pfleiderer
    Inventor: Peter Pfleiderer
  • Patent number: 4821020
    Abstract: Cycle stop-light equipment having a deformable member which is squashed upon operation of the hand-brake lever to operate an electrical switch to illuminate the stop-light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Inventor: Karl M. Hargreaves
  • Patent number: 4821029
    Abstract: The invention provides a novel computer-operated touch screen video display system in which the human operator by first touching a sub-area or chamber of the screen containing predetermined graphic information and then pointing on the screen to a different sub-area or chamber where it is desired to display said information may cause the processing equipment automatically to effect the transfer of said graphic information to and display of the same at the different sub-area, while also storing the information in the memory of the processing equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignees: Microtouch Systems, Inc., The Academy of Applied Science
    Inventors: James D. Logan, Yury Litvin
  • Patent number: 4821329
    Abstract: A switching device operable to monitor for the presence of an audio signal on a primary input line to a mixer includes a retriggerable timer responsive to activity on the primary line. When activity ceases for a predetermined time interval, the retriggerable timer connects to the mixer a substitute program, for example background music to be played through a different mixer input channel during performers' break. The switching device is operable for professional-type balanced low impedence audio systems wherein the mixer impresses a DC bias on the signal line to power condensor microphones. The microphones remain operational whether or not the substitute program is enabled. Upon resumption of microphone activity on the primary line, the switching device is automatically reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Inventor: Gary Straub
  • Patent number: 4818988
    Abstract: A crosspoint switching array of a matrix of crosspoint switches connected in rows and columns. Each crosspoint switch includes an MOS inverter circuit for propagating a digital signal from crosspoint-to-crosspoint along its row. Each crosspoint switch includes a first MOS switch connected to the preceding crosspoint switch in the column and a second MOS switch connected to its row. The second switch is activated to connect the row to the column at a particular crosspoint. Otherwise, the first switch is activated to connect the crosspoint switch to the preceding crosspoint switch in the column. The output of the first or second switch is applied to an MOS inverter circuit for driving the following crosspoint switch in the column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: GTE Laboratories Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael Cooperman, Richard W. Sieber
  • Patent number: 4818978
    Abstract: A position and image inputting unit in accordance with the present invention is a unit in which both the position inputting function and the image inputting function are incorporated in a packing case. The unit may be used for inputting the position data, as in a mouse in the prior art, when the user presses the packing case lightly. For inputting an image, the packing case is to be pressed harder, and the packing case is moved in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the image scanner. To facilitate the motion, there is provided a guiding roller so that when the packing case is pressed hard, the case moves in a fixed direction only. Furthermore, in this state, through the operation of the image scanner, the image data is scanned and input in succession in the direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of the packing case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Motoshi Kurihara, Tsukasa Matoba
  • Patent number: 4817923
    Abstract: A vibration damper comprising; a main body which is formed from an elastic material into a substantially cubic overall form; and fixtures which are attached to each of two surfaces of the main body which are adjacent each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Kioritz Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikiyo Kamata, Takashi Fukuoka
  • Patent number: 4817924
    Abstract: The spring core for a mattress consists of several, identically formed spring coils arranged in side by side rows with each row forming a wire piece having an upper and a lower mutually aligned end spiral in a U-shape, and having opposite legs joined together by a base webb. Adjacent coil springs are joined together at their end spirals along abutting legs by helical connecting springs. To arrange the springs at tight angles in rows and columns, a length of one leg is greater than the length of another leg and all the coil springs are oriented in the same direction, except along a edge region of the spring core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Inventor: Alan Thoenen
  • Patent number: 4818992
    Abstract: A warning system for rotary wing aircraft compares the accumulated altitude loss after take-off of the aircraft with its altitude above ground, and generates a warning if the altitude loss is excessive for the altitude above ground at which the aircraft is flying. The position of the landing gear, the speed of the aircraft and its altitude enable the system only during the take-off and missed approach phases of operation in order to minimize nuisance warnings during other phases. The relationship between radio altitude and altitude loss required to generate a warning is optimized for rotary wing aircaft such as helicopters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Sundstrand Data Control, Inc.
    Inventor: Noel S. Paterson
  • Patent number: 4818981
    Abstract: An active matrix display device of an improved and simplified configuration and a driving method for the same are disclosed. The display device according to the present invention is characterized in that data bus lines and scan bus lines are separately formed on first and second transparent substrates respectively and the drain electrode of each TFT on the second substrate is connected to the scan bus line to be addressed next. This configuration eliminates earth bus lines of the prior art. This arrangement has effects of simplifying a bus line design and obtaining a higher yield and an increased opening rate for each display element. In order to drive the above device, an address pulse having a stepped waveform is used. Each address pulse has Vgon, Vgc, and Vgoff levels, and a width of two horizontal scan time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Ken-ichi Oki, Satoru Kawai, Ken-ichi Yanai, Kazuhiro Takahara