Abstract: A staple and stapler for injecting the staple in a manner so that the staple maintains a near constant width upon penetration of material to be joined and during staple closure/forming such that material perturbation and staple to staple spacing may be minimized. The staple has a rectilinear bridge part from which depend oppositely positioned side parts and from the side parts a pair of straight legs. In a preferred embodiment, the oppositely positioned side parts consist of a proximal arcuate section attached to the bridge part and an oppositely directed distal arcuate section attached to the legs. The legs may have sharpened points. Also disclosed is a stapler adapted to force the oppositely directed distal arcuate sections outward, in one embodiment, thereby forcing a reaction of the legs of the staple to face each other in linear alignment and form a closed staple.

Abstract: An apparatus for assembling a photo film unit has a dark box, which has supply openings into which parts are supplied, and an exit opening from which the body loaded with the photo film is exited. Intermediate cells of the dark box shield ambient light and include interlocked outer shutter plates and inner shutter plates which are disposed in the supply openings and the exit opening. A cassette supplying loader and a robot hand transfer the cassette into the dark box, while a leading tongue of the photo film is protruded from the cassette shell, with a remaining portion of the photo film contained as a roll. A roll forming fork device winds the photo film to a predetermined length from the cassette and forms the photo film into the roll. A photo film mounting mechanism swings the roll and the cassette shell together to change orientation thereof, and loads the roll and the cassette shell into the body.

Abstract: A method of supporting or mounting a precision instrument for supporting a mask and a wafer in a vacuum container is disclosed. The method is particularly applicable to an SOR X-ray exposure apparatus wherein the mask and the wafer are disposed in a desired level of the reduced pressure, and exposure energy such as X-rays contained in synchrotron radiation is projected onto the wafer through the mask to print the pattern of the mask onto the wafer. In x-y-z coordinates with the x direction being vertical, the precision instrument is hung at at least two points which are spaced in the x direction, to the inside wall of the vacuum container. At one of the supporting points, the precision instrument is given latitude of x, y and z direction movement, and at the other supporting point, the precision instrument is fixed or is given latitude only in the x direction.

Abstract: The invention uses a lost motion clamping system to provide variable height clamping from the top of a one or more stacks. The variable height clamp is then locked in place. A second clamping means then provides additional clamping from the bottom of the stacks.

Abstract: A continuous method for manufacturing an elongated superconducting campsite composed of a superconductor consisting of compound oxided and a metal sheath surrounding the superconductor, including the steps of kneading a material powder of superconducting compound oxide with a binder, continuously shaping the resulting kneaded paste into an elongated pre-form by an extruder or by coating technlque, heating the pre-form continuously to remove said binder, wrapping the pre-form with a metallic sheet, and then subjecting the pre-form from wrapped with the metallic sheet to sintering operation to sinter said material powder.

Abstract: A strongly-linked polycrystalline oxide superconductor article includes an oxide superconductor selected from the group consisting 124-type and 247-type oxide superconductors having fine, highly aligned oxide superconductor grains less than 50 .mu.m along a longest dimension. The oxide superconductor article has at least a 25% retention of critical current density in a 0.1 Tesla field.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention provides a joining element for joining a tube with a port. The joining element comprises a seal having a bore for accepting the tube, a nut and a ferrule. The ferrule has a bore for accepting the seal and the tube, a retaining member which retains the tube with the ferrule by engaging the tube, and a positive stop which limits engagement of the retaining member and the tube. The nut has a bore for accepting the ferrule and the tube and a bearing surface which engages the positive stop on the ferrule to positively limit engagement of the retaining member and the tube. Still other embodiments provide methods for forming a connection between a tube and a port. One such method comprises inserting the tube into a first member and a second member. The first member is moved with respect to the second member such that the second member is positioned partially within the first member. The first member, the second member and the tube are placed in the port.

Abstract: A hollow lumen cable is formed by helically winding inner and outer coils with the helices of each coil being in an abutting relationship and the outer coil inner diameter being less than the outer, peripheral, diameter of the inner coil. Preferably, each coil is multifilar. After the coils are wound, an unwinding force is applied to the outer coils and the inner coils is inserted into the outer coils to have its winding inclined opposite to that of the outer coil; and thence, the outer coils is allowed to contract to form an interference fit with the inner coil. The cable may be incorporated as part of various medical systems e.g., implantable pumps or other rotatable medical apparatus. The cable is bendable about the tight radii, has a high torque transfer, a small outer diameter, and a hollow lumen through which fluid, wires or medical devices may pass.

Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatus for separating sheets from substrates without substantially moving the sheets and, specifically where the sheets are sheets of X-ray film and the substrates are screens found in conventional X-ray cassettes.

Abstract: The invention uses a lost motion clamping system to provide variable height clamping from the top of a one or more stacks. The variable height clamp is then locked in place. A second clamping means then provides additional clamping from the bottom of the stacks.

Abstract: The invention provides elastomeric clamps for providing a compliant mounting surface which protects the edges of brittle materials, which can be constituent components in armor panels. Thus the invention prevents concentrated loads around the armor. The invention is modular and allows for modular placement of a plurality of spaced apart armor panel layers.

Abstract: An improved refrigerator hinge assembly which provides for maintaining the proper adjusted position of a refrigerator door with respect to its associated cabinet. A factory setting of the refrigerator door can be accurately maintained with precision even after the hinges are removed for field installation of the refrigerator such as to pass a refrigerator through narrow doorways. A tap plate is located behind the cabinet cladding and has "wrapper" or hinge screw holes for clamping the position of the external hinge with hinge screws, while allowing for factory adjustment of the door position. After the door is factory adjusted in position, a supplemental mechanism is applied to fix the tap plate in the factory position independent of the hinge screws, such as an epoxy application or a separate and independent drill screw applied through the cabinet and engaging the tap plate.

Abstract: A process for producing hollow composite members, comprising the steps of: providing an outer material layer; providing a tubular supporting member within the outer layer; initially plastically expanding the supporting member to produce a connection between the outer layer and the supporting member; and subsequently plastically expanding the supporting member in a central region while simultaneously axially shortening the supporting member, so that a tensile prestress is generated in the circumferential direction and a compressive prestress is generated in the longitudinal direction of the outer layer.

Abstract: An elongated metal structural member including an expanded metal web formed by severing a metal strip along a sinuous path forming a plurality of keystone-shaped tabs on each half, moving the two halves directly away from each other until outer corners of the tabs of one half overlap outer corners of the tabs of the other half, and affixing together the outer corners of one half with outer corners of the other half.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing high-pressure tanks of low weight with an armored corrugated metal sheath, a corrugated pipe is circumferentially armored, with the metallic tank being introduced into the armored corrugated pipe. An assembly which includes the armored pipe and the tank is longitudinally armored except for oppositely disposed openings of the pipe and the metallic tank. The material of the metallic tank is caused to creep through plastic deformation under an effect of an internal pressure in order to obtain a corrugation of the cylindrical part of the metallic tank.

Abstract: A method for converting a board manufacturing plant from a discontinuous method of operation to a continuous one. A pre-assembly and trial start-up of the to-be-installed continuous press is performed at a close-by location during operation of the to-be-replaced press. An appropriate set-up area of sufficient floor strength is established close to the production hall, and the continuous press is designed to have vertical mechanical junctions for the transport of individual modules. These modules, being provided with assembly bridges and lifting devices, are transportable as units resistant to flexure and torsion.

Abstract: A system and method for mechanically forming a ceramic superconductor product. A system for making the ceramic superconductor includes a metallic channel portion having a cross section for receiving a ceramic superconductor powder, a roll to mechanically reduce the channel cross section and included superconductor powder and a cap portion welded to the channel portion using a localized high energy source. The assembled bar is then mechanically reduced to form a tape or wire end product.

Abstract: A flexible coupling of the type having hubs secured to aligned shafts and connected to one another through the use of a flexible belt surrounding the hubs is improved by forming axial and circumferential grooves on the exterior surface of the belt, each circumferential groove lying transverse to and opening into an axial groove. A cooperating metal retainer ring has respective pins formed on its interior surface for insertion into the axial grooves. After a test for gross misalignment has been satisfied, the respective pins are rotated into the circumferential grooves, thereby fixing the retainer ring in position with respect to the flexible belt and coupling.

Abstract: An outer surface of a cam on a camshaft extending along a camshaft axis is honed by continuously rotating the camshaft about its axis while holding a grinding stone adjacent the cam with a surface of the stone directed radially inward at the cam surface. Movement of the grinding stone is restricted to displacement in two directions, one direction extending substantially radially of the camshaft axis and the other direction extending generally perpendicular to the one direction. The grinding stone is urged in the one direction extending radially of the axis against the stone to press the cam surface radially inward against the cam surface for contact of the stone surface along a line with the cam surface so that the stone moves in a radial direction as the camshaft rotates. The stone surface is continuously reciprocated in the other direction generally parallel to a plane perpendicular to the radial direction so as to continuously move the contact line between the cam and stone surfaces.

Abstract: Apparatus for providing a sharpened edge on an elongated cutting tool comprising a base member having an elongated slot therein and a pair of elongated sharpening elements each pivotally mounted on the base member at opposite sides of the upper end portion of the slot and extending in crossed relation and intersecting at the slot as a cutting tool is drawn downwardly and outwardly through the slot. Separate counterweights are connected to the upper end portions of each of the sharpening elements to resist their downward pivoting movement as the cutting tool is so drawn through the slot. Separate eccentrically mounted cams are disposed between each cutting tool and its axis of pivot to adjustably control the extent of swinging movement of each of the sharpening elements in both directions.