Abstract: A water level sensing probe having a probe body (24), a protective sleeve (28), and an external housing (26) is disclosed. The body contains a detector board (40) that partially protrudes from its bottom and a logic board (42) that partially protrudes from its top. The detector board senses the level of electrically conductive fluid and transmits an indication of that level to the logic board that controls the operation and partially processes the data in response to commands received through a cable (28). The detector board is protected by the protective sleeve (28) while the logic board is enclosed in the external housing (26). The probe is used by positioning on the bottom of a fluid containing tank or other vessel. Water at the bottom of the tank forms a bridging contact between a ground plane and a number of traces on the detector board proportional to the level of the water.

Abstract: A magneto-optic recording method of writing data in an interleaving manner on a magneto-optic recording medium by means of magnetic field modulation system. A series of data are first written on the recording medium, forming corresponding data pits, and then another series of data are written between these already written data pits. Thereby, both high density recording and high speed accessing are achieved.

Abstract: An infrared detector receives infrared energy from the target and provides a detector signal based primarily on the difference between the infrared detector temperature and the temperature of the reference temperature area of the detector. A contact temperature measurement device provides a reference signal which is a function of the temperature of the reference temperature area of the detector. A processor receives the detector and reference signals and combines the two signals in a non-linear manner to result in a signal which is representative of the temperature of the target. The method of non-linearly combining includes the use of gain and offset terms which may be altered to a limited extent by a technician in the field with a blackbody calibration source. As a result of the recalibration, accurate target temperature measurements are continually provided.

Abstract: A tape dispenser comprises a housing, a reel core (3) rotatable in the housing about an axis and having an inner periphery formed with an annular array of inwardly directed core teeth (17), and a drive wheel rotatable in the housing about the axis. A plurality of elastically deformable spring tongues (15) formed unitarily with each other each extend at an angle to the axis from the respective inner end fixed to the drive wheel to a respective outer end lying within the reel core adjacent the inner periphery thereof. Each inner end is axially offset and radially inwardly offset from the respective outer end and each outer end is integrally formed with at least one tongue tooth engaging between the core teeth. A supply of tape (14) is wound on the reel core such that when the tape is payed out or wound up on the reel core same rotates relative to the drive wheel and the core teeth move angularly relative to the tongue teeth with elastic inward deflection of same.

Abstract: A fishing reel of the spincast type has a suitable internal mechanism carried within an improved housing including a front cover, a rear cover and a stem and mounting foot thereon for mounting to a fishing rod. The front cover has two parts, the first part (11a) being cylindrical with a front and rear edge and the second part (11b) having a conical forward portion and a cylindrical rearward portion. The front edge portion of the first part has two cylindrical flanges forming an annular groove (58) therebetween. The inner of the flanges has spaced apart cutouts (60) therein. The front edge portion of the inner of the flanges has at least one notch (64) in alignment with one of the cutouts contained therein.

Abstract: A disk cartridge includes a main body of the cartridge having an opening on its major surface by which the signal recording surface of an optical disk accommodated in the main body is exposed to the outside and an aperture formed on the lateral surface orthogonal to the major surface of the main body for enabling the optical disk to be inserted into and taken out of the cartridge for disk exchange. The disk cartridge also has an opening/closing member (21) which is rotatably supported by the main body by pivot pins (28) provided at its one end for engaging in recesses in the aperture in the main body, for opening and closing the aperture and, which is provided at its other end with a resilient arm (34) having a retaining end pawl engageable with a mating retaining section in the main body. By actuation of the opening/closing member, the aperture in the main body is opened or closed to permit exchange of the optical disk.

Abstract: An information recording and reproducing apparatus according to the invention includes an emergency conveying device for conveying an information recording medium on a carriage member from an information recording and/or reproducing position to an ejecting port. The emergency conveying device includes a device for moving the carriage member to the ejecting port by coming into engagement with the carriage member. A gear (20) is manually actuated in case of a power failure so as to manually move the carriage (3) toward the discharge area.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fibrous product mixing truck having a mixing container (2) with one or more vertical scrolls welded onto corresponding rotating shafts. The container is mounted on a wheeled frame through the interposition of weighing cells (3). A frame (10) of metallic tubes with a substantially quadrangular shape is welded to the container for movably supporting an unloading belt (11) facing an unloading door (7) of the container and movable from a position which is substantially internal to the truck to a position which considerably protrudes therefrom. The frame is rigidly associated with a ladder (14) upwardly connected to an inspection platform (15) and is separated from the container.

Abstract: An in-series load bearing sensor is provided for use with a motor operated valve assembly. The in-series load bearing sensor is installed in the mechanical load path between the actuator and valve yoke to provide a direct measurement of valve stem thrust and/or actuator output torque under actual operating conditions. Sensor is precalibrated and can be installed temporarily for testing purposes or permanently for ongoing monitoring of valve performance. Webs (40) have strain gauges (41, 42, 43) thereon which measure the valve stem torque and valve stem thrust at any given moment. Webs (40) link an inner load ring (30) and an outer load ring (20).

Abstract: A bar code reader has the capability of reading a bar code symbol containing information for causing change in the volume of a speaker associated with said reader, as well as reading merchandise identification symbols commonly associated with items such as merchandise being checked out at a point of sale terminal. The apparatus for controlling the volume of the speaker includes a microprocessor, a digital-to-analog converter, an AC coupler, a reference amplifier, a peak-to-peak amplifier and a push-pull driver.

Abstract: A cartridge loading device for a disk player which can supply, when a disk tray on which a disk is placed is accommodated in position into a device body of the disk player, the disk readily to a disk driving unit located laterally of an area of advancing and retracting movement of the disk tray.

Abstract: There is disclosed a call transfer method and device of an automatic answering phone, whereby a memory integrated circuit (IC) and a magnetic tape are used to commonly store an answering message, a call transfer message, and a caller's message. The subscriber's message and the call transfer message are recorded in different portions of the same cassette tape for reproducing the answering message.

Abstract: A recording system for use with a recording disk including a slider positioned near the surface of the recording disk a small distance away therefrom is provided. The slider traverses the disk by displacement to and away from the center of the disk. A laser (603) light source is affixed to the slider (604) for projecting a light beam through the recording disk to a photosensor positioned in optical communication with the laser light source. The disk is rotated by a disk drive.

Abstract: A low-profile radial access mechanism for controlling the radial position of a read/write head relative to a rotating data storage disk (e.g. optical, magneto-optical and magnetic disks). Such mechanism has a carriage (10) which supports a plurality of bearings (11) on its opposing sides. The bearings engage a pair of space parallel rods (21, 31) to guide the carriage along a rectilinear path. Each rod is made of a ferromagnetic material and forms part of the flux-carrying structure of one of a pair of separate electromagnetic linear motors (20, 30). One of the two flux-carrying structures is movable relative to the other to preload the bearings against the guide rods. According to a preferred embodiment, the pair of linear motors share the windings of a single coil (22) carried by the carriage, such windings being physically distributed as to accommodate an exact constraint arrangement provided by the bearings.

Abstract: A changing apparatus for compact discs has a box-shaped magazine in which discs are stored in parallel, overlapping, sloped compartments. The discs can be moved from a storage position in the magazine to a playback position on a playback mechanism by a disc transfer mechanism. The disc transfer mechanism can include a spring-operated lever for pushing a disc out of the magazine. Alternatively, it may include a flexible ribbon housed inside a hollow sheath. When the ribbon is moved back and forth in the sheath, the disc is pushed in a desired direction by one of the ends of the ribbon.

Abstract: An apparatus for receiving input data values representing an array of picture elements of a source image containing one or more bar code regions, whereby the input data values are converted to bi-level values representing black or white states which are stored in an image memory, while in addition the bi-level values are processed to obtain data representing an image in which a "skeleton" central portion of the bar code region appears as an all-black region, while background black regions are eliminated. A central position and the slope of a central axis of the bar code region are computed based on that "skeleton" region, and data values in the image memory which conform to the central axis are then read out, to read the bar code data.

Abstract: An information recording medium of an air-sandwich sealed type is disclosed, which comprises a pair of disk-shaped substrate to form an inner space therebetween; an inner circumferential spacer and an outer circumferential spacer interposed between the pair of disk-shaped substrates; and a recording layer formed on the inner surface of at least one of the disk-shaped substrates, with an adhesive agent being applied to the surface of at least the inner circumferential spacer or the outer circumferential spacer in the form of a plurality of concentric adhesive layers, each of the concentric adhesive layers having at least one cut-away portion to which the adhesive agent is not applied to form a vent and an air passage between the surface of the inner circumferential space or the outer circumferential spacer and any of the substrates, the vent and the air passage capable of allowing the air to pass from the inner inner space formed by the disk-shaped substrates to the outside and vice versa, and the cut-away por

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring a reading position for use in a disc player includes a positional information generating device for generating positional information of an information reading point in a direction of disc radius in accordance with the movement of the information reading point. The apparatus is configured to perform operations of detecting a condition that the information reading point is in one of at least lead-in and lead-out areas on the disc, storing each positional information by the positional information generating device at the time of the detection, comparing the positional information by the positional information generating device during the movement of the information reading point, and monitoring the position of the information reading point with respect to the lead-in and lead-out areas on the basis of a result of the comparison.

Abstract: A point of sale (POS) bar code scanner such as in common use in retail stores includes provision for reading bar coded redemption coupons (or other bar coded documents redeemable for value) in a manner secure from a human operator. Integration of functions between the POS scanner and the coupon reader varies with different embodiments described. Through software associated with bar code decoding logic, a comparison is made between information on a validation coupon and information on items presented for purchase, and a decision is made as to whether the redemption coupon is valid and redeemable in this transaction. In one embodiment, the bar code scanner simply receives the redemption coupon face down on the product scanner window, and integrated decode logic of the scanner identifies the bar code as belonging to a redemption coupon, then makes the comparison and validation of the coupon for the particular transaction.

Abstract: A second bar code such as an add-on code which comprises only a character bar and is added to the side of the first bar code such as UPC, EAN and JAN which has a center bar and guard bar can be correctly read out. When the scanning is made from the first bar code side to the second bar code side, a write address produced when the right guard bar of the first bar code is recognized is used to access the data of the second bar code. Conversely, where the scanning is made from the second bar code side to the first bar code side, the write address produced when the center bar of the first bar code is recognized is used to access the second bar code after an arithmetic operation. Therefore, the first bar code can be clearly distinguished from the second bar code which is different in bar code system and the second bar code can be correctly read out.